Haitian School Experiments
Diocesan Press Service. February 8, 1965 [XXIX-16]
St. Vincent's School for the Handicapped, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, has recently begun experimenting with having classes for the blind and handicapped together.
"It is not unusual to have one or two non-sighted children in a class with sighted ones in other countries, but the Educational system of Haiti, which follows the pattern of the French, is very difficult. Even first graders have several hours of homework each day," states Sister Joan Margaret, S. S. M., director of the School.
Thus, the school decided to begin by integrating the 24 first and second graders who were blind or physically handicapped. As Sister Joan Margaret describes the class, "Songs, recitations, memory work are done together. The blind learn their Braille letters and the sighted their printed letters, so all learn 'pa-pa, to-to, toupie' and so forth at one time. Only the system differs!"
Evaluating the experiment so far, Sister Joan Margaret says, "With the co-operation and enthusiasm of the teachers and the fact that the children are beginners and know no other type of class we feel the experiment will be a success."