The news from The Tokmak Special Boarding School for children with learning difficulties
Victor Dyadya, the boarding school director, asks us not to mention the real names of the boarding school children: “They are all fine kids here; they are simply not able to cope with the standard general school program”. That is why the education in the institution is accentuated at the social adaptation and self-sufficiency skills: the children learn housekeeping; they learn to make purchases, to cook, to buy bus tickets or go to the post office – in other words they are being trained for independent life. Certainly, the children are also taught literacy and numeracy but the main thing is that here they learn basics of some craft. At the labor lessons the children are divided into groups in accordance with the training profiles – joinery, bench work or sewing.
The boarding school staff comprises 40 teachers two of whom are speech therapists. There are clubs of rhythmic and vocal skills, a computer class, a gym with training equipment and an exercise therapy room.
Recently, the Tokmak boarding school has opened a pre-school (for 5-year olds) and first elementary classes for children with intellectual disabilities.
Only 10% of the children live in the vicinity and come home after classes. Majority of them stay in the boarding school during the working days and return home for the weekends. Unfortunately, parents do not always have money and time to send their children to school by bus so the boarding school takes such children home and back in a “Gazel” minivan. As a result, the boarding school is in urgent need of petrol. The director remarks that 2011 is not an easy year for the school. Only financing of food, salaries and electricity was left at the same level; as for all the other items - it is 40% decreased. Due to this the boarding school is in need of the following:
- Stationery (albums for drawing, copy-books, pens, felt pens);
- Clothes and footwear for boys and girls 5-19 years old;
- Footballs and volleyballs.
Certainly the boarding school management do their best to satisfy all the children’s necessities as far as it is possible, but these things will never be unnecessary or out of place.
The address of The Tokmak Special Boarding School for children with learning difficulties is as follows:
Seregina st 4, Tokmak 71702,
Director: Victor Ivanovich Dyadya
Tel. (+380 6178) 2 01 63
