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May Chan Rhodes

Partnership between mainstream and special needs schools can be a mutually fruitful experience on multiple levels, says Karin Wetselaar, principal of Jockey Club Sarah Roe School (JCSRS).
JCSRS is an ESF school catering to children with various disabilities. These range from physical disabilities, such as deafness, to complex learning disabilities, to developmental disorders like autism.
The school has been in close partnership with the neighbouring King George V School, also an ESF school. Through this joint partnership, students and teachers share classes, resources and workshops on a regular basis.
“It is a powerful way for students and teachers to experience how everyone has something to give despite their differences,” says Wetselaar. “They all learn how to relate to people who are different from them, and how to work together.”
JCSRS students regularly attend maths, physical education and arts classes at KGV or Kowloon Junior School, depending on their strengths. Teachers adapt to their learning needs and styles accordingly.
For example, a student with high-functioning autism may be brilliant at arts or technology, but could find themselves on a steep learning curve when it comes to teamwork and social skills.
On the other hand, a student with hearing and speech impairment may need to employ smartphone technology to work with classmates. This way, they can be more aware of happenings in the classroom and contribute to a discussion.
“To have an inclusive classroom, both the teachers and students have to want to have someone different in the classroom,” Wetselaar says. “This is the most important thing of all. For the rest, you just learn as you go.”
Wetselaar adds that teachers need to be able to think outside the box, mobilise various resources, and be willing to adapt to the different learning needs and styles of individuals. They also need to focus on students’ strengths instead of their limitations.
She notes that teachers from mainstream schools find it professionally enriching to be able to manage a classroom of diversity, especially when inclusion is increasingly the norm in schools, workplaces and the community.
JCSRS has invited teachers from other ESF schools to join its professional development workshops where education experts and therapists discuss best practice in classroom management and how to support students with different learning abilities.
“It is a trend in education, and in society, to be more inclusive,” says Wetselaar. “Our students have been actively venturing out. For example, some were getting work exposure in a hotel, wearing uniform, serving the guests. These are valuable experiences because they show that our students can work in a public environment too, just like everyone else.”
“It is a privilege to be able to learn and grow alongside people who are different from who you, but who have something to give, nonetheless,” she says. “There is a place for everyone in the world; there is a place for them in the world, too.”


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