BY SIMON NDIVE KALLA
The Center for research on child and family Development and Education, CRCFDE, headed by it CEO/ Founder Prof. Emeritus Tchombe Therese with support from Rotary Club of Limbe and Rotary club of Ventura South (USA) recently organised a three-day workshop on autism in Limbe to educate teachers, education stakeholders and parents in the South West Region on how to identify and manage cases of autism in schools and communities.
Speaking during the three-days workshop the Founder/ CEO of Center for research on child and family Development and Education, Prof. Emeritus Tchombe Therese said they did a lot of research in inclusive education and special needs education their first research was with sight savers.
“The essence was to enable us identify this different disabilities and at this point in time, we found out that autism needs special attention. That's why we are here” Prof. Emeritus Tchombe Therese said.
Quizzed on the significance of the training and why it was focused on teachers or the education family as far as autism is concerned, she explained that they thought that they should go beyond the giving to try and see how best her organisation can help teachers and help families.
“We are training to build disciplines for autism in schools, so that we can change the lives of those children, change their future give them a better place in the world.” Prof Emeritus Tchombe Therese added. In his intervention Dr. John Ndakwah of Rotary club Limbe said it has always been their strive to elevate the situation of health, that people should live in a peaceful society and community where everybody can participate and give their own understanding of what they know about the world. “Rotary club generally supports things that are hard, you find them difficult, you can't give an answer to it. Like the case of autism. Most of the time you think that these children are useless, they are idiots, they know nothing”, “They are a problem to the family. Nobody was born to be a problem. Every body has a distinct role to play in the society. And if you can identify those attributes of that particular child, you can use that child in the society, that child can be helpful in the society in one way or the other.” Dr. John Ndakwah explained.
On her part, Regional delegate of Basic Education for the South West Elangwe Rose said the seminar is so timely in the South West Region and timely even in the Nation.
“Last week, we had a similar training in Yaounde and if we are having it here in SW region, I think that it is so timely and the Southwest actually is blessed. So with the teachers, the divisional delegates all involved, I think that the inclusive method of teaching will be well implemented in our schools.” Elangwe Rose said.
Quizzed on the situation of autism in schools, she said the situation of the autism in schools had been a very challenging task especially with the teachers. “You see some teachers usually neglect children with disabilities, some with speech effects. They could not even diagnose especially those ones who have maybe short sightedness or hearing problem or other deficiencies.” Elangwe Rose explained.
She added that the training will bring the teachers to the knowledge to look at a child and know the problem the child is facing and how to manage the child. And not only the teachers the parents as well and the community and this will also help the children to feel that they belong in a community.
“That time when the children use to be in the class and feel neglected will no longer be there. They will also know that they too are part and parcel of the class room. So I think the teaching is so important and it has come at the time when everybody is longing to have it” Elangwe Rose stated.
She appreciated Rotary club of Limbe for initiating such seminar which brought together educational stakeholders from the six divisions of South West Region. “In fact this is so impressive because the government alone cannot handle everything”,
Participants pose with organisers after the workshop
Cross section of participants during the workshop
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