Kayode Olanrewaju 
Worried by the low attention to educational needs of children living with disabilities, members of Board of Place of Liberty Nursery and Primary School, Surulere, Lagos, have reiterated commitment of the school to providing quality education for this group of children.
This is as they described children with special needs, as bundles of talent, who only need proper support to thrive. A Board member and the President of Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), Mr. Olusoji Oluwole, who stated this, however, noted that the goal was to encourage other individuals and organisations to provide similar support, through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
He spoke during the school’s third anniversary celebration, where he explained that the school was established to offer support to children with special needs, many of whom, he lamented, had been hidden or kept at home by their parents due to financial and psychological constraints.
“Over half of them used to be hidden or kept at home by their parents, and no one knew anything about them. We are thankful to God that their parents are now able to bring them out with pride to show what they can do,” he said. Besides, he underlined the importance of vocational training for the children, and recalled that the school commenced vocational courses for the children earlier this year.
“Some of these children, we realise, may not be able to take up regular jobs due to their challenges, which is why we started the vocational school in order to help them learn skills and produce hand-made items that can be sold, make them self-sufficient and productive members of society,” Oluwole stated.
In his remarks, another board member, Mr Ladipo Oluwole, explained that the initiative was inspired by the memory of his late parents, who shared a passion for children with special needs.
“Today is the Founder’s Day of the school, which coincides with the anniversary of my parents’ passing on September 18. This school was inspired by their memory,” he said.
According to him, Place of Liberty School operates in partnership with the Lagos Mainland Anglican Diocese, which officially owns the school, and that everything provided for the students is free, as the school relies on donations.
“The school currently has 30 children in its enrollment, with 11 having graduated to the vocational school,” he added. On her part, the School Administrator, Mrs Olufunke Lipede, stressed the importance of inclusive education for children with special needs, just as she expressed pride in the milestones achieved by the pupils.
Specifically, she extolled the virtues and paid glowing tribute to the late Very Revd. T.A.J. Oluwole and Mrs Modupe Oluwole in whose memory the school was founded.
“Today, we celebrate not only the founding of our school, but also the tireless efforts of our founders, who envisioned a place where any child, regardless of his or her ability, could thrive and reach their full potential,” Lipede said.
The school, according to her, could boast of state-of-the-art facilities, continuous training for its staff, and a clear vision for the future. “We remain committed to empowering our pupils to reach their full potential,” Lipede said.
