Visually impaired children do parents proud at Grade Six exams

- but need financial assistance to attend secondary school

By Enid Joaquin, June 24, 2013 | By KNews | Filed Under News, Source

Shivannie and Relon with teachers Swaving (right), and Alistra Greaves, Shavannie’s mother at centre

Suzanne Featherstone and Ronella Jarvis are the proud mothers of two visually impaired children that, considering their challenges, have done extremely well at the recent grade six assessments.

Shivannie Featherstone was able to obtain 510 marks and secure a place at the St Roses High School, while Relon Sumner secured a place at the Mackenzie High School with 426 marks. Both children attend the Wismar Hill Primary school, which is the only school in Region 10, with a unit for the visually impaired.

Relon, the more reticent of the two children, said he was happy with his success, while Shivannie, in her inimitable eloquent style pointed out, “I’m extremely happy that I did so well and was awarded a place at St Roses. I always wanted to go there because I think they have a low vision unit- so it’s like my dream came true. I would also like to thank my mother, grandfather and my teachers because they all worked very hard with me.

I’m very happy!

Emotional  Seesaw
Both Shivannie’s  and Relon’s mothers are also ecstatic over their performance- but at the same time they are also full of trepidation about their imminent transition from primary to secondary school.

‘’I’m really happy with Shivannie’s results, because I know she worked really hard, and she actually predicted that she would get a place at St Roses’ High, but I’m also very worried because I personally take her to school every day, then return for her in the afternoons, because of her impairment. Now she will have to travel alone, which she has never done- and that is causing me a lot of anxiety’, Suzanne Featherstone confessed.

That apart, she is also worried about meeting the transportation and other expenses that her daughter’s attendance at secondary School will entail, as she is presently not in a job.

Suzanne knows that keeping Shivannie home from school , whenever she runs out of money(as she presently does) is definitely not an option, once she starts Secondary School.

She said that knowing that absenteeism would only compound the other challenges currently facing her child, she decided to approach a potential sponsor who is offering scholarships to financially challenged students, who would have done well at NGSA.

“I called these people over the phone- which was probably not the best thing to do in the circumstances, and they asked me how much marks Shivannie got, and I told them 510- and they said, sorry, they couldn’t accept her, because she doesn’t qualify.

What I would really like to know is if when these companies are formulating their criteria for selection of potential recipients, if they never thought of making some sort of provision or allowances, for persons who might be challenged in some way (healthwise).

Now Shivannie is short of about fifteen or so marks to meet the criteria of this particular scholarship donor- but she is not a child with normal vision.  She has already had surgeries to remove cataracts from both eyes, and she is presently due for laser surgery, to have her vision corrected, so I don’t think that she should be judged by the same criteria as other applicants,” Featherstone declared. Two of Shivannie’s teachers, Shellon Swaving and Alstria Greaves, acknowledged that Shivannie is an exceptional student, in spite of her condition, and as such should be given every opportunity to further her dreams- which is to become a doctor.

“I would really like to say to potential sponsors that here is a child with a lot of potential, who is also very eager to learn, but because of her family’s prevailing economic position, could be robbed of acquiring the best possible education. So I’m appealing to you all to revisit your criteria for selection, so that this child could have access to a scholarship, because she definitely should not be judged by the same yardstick used to judge children who have all their faculties intact’, Teacher Shellon Swaving appealed.

Relon Sumner
The teachers reiterated the same call for Relon Sumner, who would be attending the Mackenzie High School come September.

But while Shivannie would be attending the St Rose’s High School which has a low vision unit, there is no such facility at Mackenzie High.

And Relon, who was diagnosed with Congenital Toxoplasmosis, after he became blind in his left eye in March, of course needs the special attention that can only be accessed at a low vision unit.

But that is not the only problem facing Relon, as transportation to get to and from school would be a major challenge for his financially challenged family.

His mother, Ronella, pointed out during a recent interview, that because Relon is visually impaired, he would definitely need a taxi to get to school every day, and she cannot afford that.

“The small salary I work for presently cannot cover the cost of a taxi to take Relon to school every day, and I have three other children to take care of, and his father’s salary is also very small, so I’m really very concerned right now” Ronella acknowledged.

But one of his teacher’s, Alstria Greaves has come up with an alternative- “Now I really wish persons out there would come forward and assist these children, because they really do have the potential to go far, but if that cannot happen then I’m prepared to work with them for the additional five years to take them through the Secondary level. All I need is the necessary resources and facilities.”

In the meanwhile, both students and parents wait with bated breath- will these children be supported in their quest to pursue their dreams?