The founders and parents at a local informal special needs school will soon host a fundraiser with the aim of raising money for education material and a new playground.
This is according to Quintus Roos, a parent at Lisa Educentre in Stellenbosch.
The school will host a dance with an “80’s Snack Dance” theme on 8 October, said Roos, in written correspondence with MatieMedia.
They hope to raise R14 400 through ticket sales for the event, according to Roos.
The proceeds from a fundraiser on 8 October will be used for educational material and a new playground according to Quintus Roos, a parent whose child attends the school. PHOTO: Na’ilah Ebrahim
“We have a financial deficit which we have to make up for with fundraising,” said Juliette Stander, one of the founders of Lisa Educentre.
The money raised at the fundraiser will also help pay for a permanent class assistant next year and will contribute to the current teaching fees and rent of classrooms at the Afrikaanse Christelike Vroue Vereniging, she added.
Lisa Educentre, a non-profit organisation, serves as a special needs school for eight children. A big percentage of these children are on the autism spectrum, said Quintus Roos, a parent whose child attends the school. PHOTO: Na’ilah Ebrahim
Filling the gap
Lisa Educentre, a registered non-profit company, was opened in 2019, said Stander.
The school was opened after a group of parents, who had difficulties in finding special needs schools for their children, met in 2016 to discuss how they could establish a special needs school for their children in Stellenbosch, said Stander.
Students at Lisa Educentre have improved their numeracy, reading, writing and life skills since attending the school, said Quintus Roos, a parent of one of the children who attends the school (pictured right). Juliette Stander (left) is one of the founders of the school. PHOTO: Na’ilah Ebrahim
Lisa Educentre has one specialist teacher and one teaching assistant, said Quintus Roos, a parent at the school. Currently, eight students attend the centre, said Juliette Stander, one of the founders of the school. PHOTO: Na’ilah Ebrahim
“These children could not fit in in the mainstream schools because of the fast-paced teaching and not a lot of individual attention was placed on them,” said Roos, who added that many of their students are on the autism spectrum.
“We know the needs of autistic children for schooling is dire,” said Mduduzi Dube, the managing director of Autism Western Cape, in written correspondence with MatieMedia. “There [are] not enough special needs schools to house these children and waiting lists for these schools are often three to five years long, if not longer.”
Pictured above is Zak Roos, son of Quintus Roos. Roos currently works as an information technology administrator at Stellenbosch University. Roos told MatieMedia that it was difficult to find a school for Zak. He attended a local primary school but after two months, the school requested that they find Zak another school, claims Roos. PHOTO: Na’ilah Ebrahim
WCED support
There are currently 70 special needs public schools in the Western Cape, according to the Western Cape education department’s (WCED) annual report for 2020/2021.
“The WCED provides a subsidy to all special needs schools. The schools have additional staff compared to ordinary schools, who are able to assist parents of children who go to special needs schools,” said David Maynier, minister of education for the WCED, in written correspondence with MatieMedia.
There are 19 650 learners in public special needs schools and 305 therapists and specialist staff in the Western Cape. This is according to the Western Cape education department’s (WCED) annual plan for 2022/2023.
According to Stander, the parents met with an educational psychologist from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to discuss the need for another special needs school in Stellenbosch. However, he indicated that resources weren’t currently available. PHOTO: Na’ilah Ebrahim
Big hopes
“When we have 10 children next year, we will register the school with the WCED. We want to register it as an independent school,” said Stander, who added that the centre’s registration would be a milestone for the school.
“We want to keep the school fees low,” said Juliette Stander, one of the founders of Lisa Educentre. Specialised education is expensive, and some schools ask for R11 000, R7 000 or R6 000 every month, said Stander. She told MatieMedia that she hopes to keep the school fees at R1 900 per month for Lisa Educentre. PHOTO: Na’ilah Ebrahim
Quintus Roos, a parent whose child attends Lisa Educentre, told MatieMedia that “the centre is hoping to work with Stellenbosch University in the future”. PHOTO: Na’ilah Ebrahim.