Practical classes

Criteria for admission to Practical Phase
Learners who are cerebrally, physically as well as intellectually challenged.

Curriculum:

Due to no current existing Curriculum for ID learners, the mainstream curriculum is amended to adress these Learners’ needs.

Three learning progammes are followed, namely Literacy, Numerical Ability and Life Skills.  ADL support is provided by an occupational therapist.

There are four academic and one practical day per week.  Learners are exposed to the necessary and appropriate practical abilities for further development.  This include general hand co-ordination techniques, further creative abilities such as beadwork, paper crafting, cooking and gardening.

Computer training and TIPS (Therapeutic Intervention Program in Schools) are also provided to the Learners.

Class groups:

We have 9 class groups with ages between 7 and 18 years old.

One group is at our Pre-School Phase (Our Practical Pre-school group).  They follow the Pre-School porgram.  When they reach 8 years of age, they are placed in the Practical Phase.

Learners in the Practical Phase need lots of individual assistance.  Every educator has a class assistant.  Many learners have facilitators who are paid by the parents.  They provide the help that the more handicapped learners need.

Most learners receive Physiotherapy.

At the monent there are in the Practical Phase:        9 Educators,  1 Assistant Educator,  8 Class Assistants,  8 Facilitators,  94 Learners.

At the age of 14 (if the learner reached the required standard), we apply for admittance to a vocational school like Westcliff.

Learners who reach the age of 16, go to the Work Preparation Group.  There they are prepared for sheltered, of protective workshops, or the open labour market; until the age of 18.  The Learning Programs followed are Literacy, Numeracy and Life Skills.  An Occupational Therapist with an Educator and an Occupational Assistant, are responsible for this group.  Attention is also given to Recreational Activities.  The ideal is to place as many learners as possible, in the open labour market.  For this we need the help of business enterprise to create opportunities for our learners.  The Occupational Therapist does  “Job-seeking”, contacts businesses for the placement of learners.  Parents must also take part in the whole process.