‘Talenta’ Eyes Special Children Future for Brighter

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/01/08/talenta-eyes-special-children-future-brighter.html

"Children are history makers who will change the future of a nation."

Every child has the right to an education that respects and develops their personality and abilities. In reality, many Indonesian children — especially children with learning disabilities — do not have access to education.

It was with the spirit to assist children with learning disabilities that Arini Soewarno set up Talenta School back in 2007. Located in West Jakarta, it is one of the few schools in the country that provides primary and secondary education for special needs children. The school, which has 17 teachers and 27 students, aims to provide a suitable learning environment for children with learning disabilities.



”We want to offer better education based on the multiple intelligence system,” said the school’s principal, Sunu Fajar Pamungkas. Arini, who is chairperson of Yayasan Peduli Anak Bangsa, said the students were special children to them. “We are willing to make the most of their talents to allow them to shine like a star,” she said.

She said that many parents and teachers were unaware of their children’s disabilities, making these children seem often misunderstood, lazy, undisciplined and underachieving. Learning disability is a general term that refers to children who have average or above-average intelligence, but they face significant difficulties in the learning process. These children are not mentally challenged — but messages to their brain become jumbled.

Learning disabilities manifest in various ways, such as in the forms of dyslexia or the difficulty to spell words correctly; visual symbol (dysgraphia) and math (dyscalculia). On the other hand, special needs include all kinds of learning disabilities, autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
“These children are not stupid. Some of them are geniuses. But they need to learn in different ways,” says Joko Yuwono, the school’s counselor, who also owns a therapy center in Cengkareng, West Jakarta.

Arini recalled her struggle to build Talenta School as a thrilling experience. It started when she realized that her son, Yoel Abednego, had special needs. “I noticed that Yoel was different from his siblings. He was really active and couldn’t control his emotions. Sometimes he would destroy stuff in our home. Then, when he was 4-years-old, a doctor told me that his behavior showed signs of ADHD,” said the mother of three.

Arini and her husband then sent their son to Pantara Elementary School, a school for children with learning disabilities.She explained that she met parents who could not accept their children’s limitations — ashamed for sending their kids to a school for children with special needs. Many, she added, forced their children to study in regular schools, even though their kids had to deal with bullying. She said that many children with learning disabilities grew up with emotional scars.

“When Yoel was in the fifth grade I knew that he would not been able to take part in the national exam so I did not force him to,” Arini says.The problem was, she said, that her son’s school only provided elementary education, therefore students would have to further their studies in regular schools. “But some children were not ready for that. In regular schools, they are often bullied, even rejected. So why should I put my son under such pressure? I believed his future did not depend on a national exam certificate.”

After discussing the issue with other parents, Arini then decided to build a new school that provided both primary and secondary education. At the beginning, they had no financial support — only the faith and willingness to provide a better future for these children. They ended up hosting fundraising events at malls and shopping centers.“Building a new school isn’t easy, mainly because you work for special children. You can’t think about your own profits. It’s not the same as building a business,” she says.

At Talenta, students have the chance to develop their artistic talents, such as through drawing, music and photography. ”Painting is one of the best ways to help children learn how to be patient, stay focused and finish their work,” said Tri Yuli Prasetyo, the school’s art teacher.

The school has enjoyed the results of its hard work — their students’ paintings have won both national and international awards. Their works have been displayed at exhibitions around the world, from the International Children and Youth Christmas Artistic Creative Work Contest at the Trakai History Museum to being selected to be displayed at the International Children’s Exhibition of Fine Arts in Czech Republic.

”Of course, we give the best to our students. But what they need most is support from their parents,” Arini says. She is aware that sometimes, being parents of children with special needs is exhausting — in many cases, love is not always enough since treatments for these children can be costly. Parents not only had to deal with financial burdens, she added, but also the challenging behavior of their children, which required strength, patience, understanding, care and unconditional acceptance.

”Therapy may have an important role in this process, but what these children mainly need is a family that can give them support with a stable, caring and loving environment to grow up in,” Arini said. “That is why we hold events and art exhibitions — to gather parents and get them involved.”

While showing off the students’ artwork, she expressed her belief that despite their weaknesses, there was a future for children with learning disabilities. She said that Albert Einstein, Thomas Alva Edison and Winston Churchill were just some geniuses who had learning disabilities, but with a proper education and support, they became history makers.

The school, she said, was committed to helping these children have a brighter future — as Nelson Mandela said, education was a powerful key to changing the world.