New Horizon is 40

By Ernestina A Boateng & Alberta Larkai

Students of New Horizon Special School  doing the borbor dance

The principal of New Horizon Special School in Accra, Mrs. Vanessa Adu-Akorsah, has appealed to the government to allocate funds to help the institution purchase logistics to teach persons with learning disabilities.

She also urged the government to sponsor children with learning disability whose parents could not support them in school.

Mrs. Adu-Akosah said this when she launched the school’s 40^th anniversary and an educational fund to help extend its services to other regions in the country.

The anniversary had the theme “Don’t Leave Me Behind”.

She noted that last year the students of the school produced some art works which were to be sold to raise funds but because they were seen to be inferior the products were not patronized.

“We have trained them for the job market, but because of their situation when they go out for employment they are rejected and they come back to the school,” she added.

She said the school which started with three children now has a population of 101.

The founder of the school Mrs. Salome Francois, said when she had a daughter with learning disability and realised that such people needed special attention.

The aim of starting the school, she said, was develop each child’s potential to the full, so they could lead a productive and satisfying life.

She said the school believed that every child whether handicapped or not, had the right to develop the limits of his or her capabilities.