Vasile1 is another child, who turned back home after years of institutionalization … he also had to stay away from his family because … "he was a special child" and because 8 years ago in the general school of his community didn’t exist the proper conditions to assist children like Vasile.
Boy’s mother says that problems started once Vasile stepped the first grade.
"We accompanied our child in the first grade eight years ago. Unfortunately, he couldn’t attend school more than about six months. Children frequently were malicious with him, he was physically and psychologically molested by them, but no teacher intervened to stop this."
In fact, Vasile’s problem wasn’t only related to colleagues’ aggressions. He also had health problems, which is why his mother was often asked to come to school. The woman recalls that it was very hard to run to school every time something happened with the boy. However, the hardest moment was yet to come. Teachers were insisting that Vasile’s place couldn’t be in a general school so, parents gave in and, against their will took the hardest decision: the one to send away their child to study in a special school.
So, for seven years, the Auxiliary School of Nisporeni District became Vasile’s new home – a place the boy prefers not to talk about, although he admits that „everybody was equal” there.
The experience lived in the residential institution left its repercussions on boy’s development. He is now a physically well-developed youngster, though shy and timid and a rather insecure in relation with the others.
The same observation commented us Mrs. Elena, as supporting teacher, who works at the Resource Center within the general school of Vasile’s Village.
"Vasile came back more timid and insecure. The boy feared he wouldn’t be accepted, in the beginning, by his colleagues, but thanks to his character and with a little help from us, we can see some progresses."
Mrs. Elena is the one who assists children with special needs in the school. She also told us that Vasile’s scholar situation is better, if compared with other children.
The boy is now in the ninth grade. He attends both the classes foreseen by the usual scholar program and the special program, developed by the Resource Center. The last one is a specially adapted program to Vasile’s abilities, so that the boy can recuperate the material he didn’t study at auxiliary school. Since he started to attend the Center, Vasile learned to work at the computer. He is happy to discover interesting and fast way of learning, surfing on the net and getting useful information for his homework.
"Vasile is a diligent and active pupil. He likes being in the middle of attention. We, teachers and colleagues, encourage him here in the center to move on. I’m glad that Vasile does his best in studying and preparing his homework with responsibility and dedication. He is a perseverant youngster – he always asks and wouldn’t stop until the answer satisfies him. Vasile is honest and recognize when he’s wrong or doesn’t know something. He reads by letters, spells and has some good results in mathematics. We cannot ask much from these children, because they have different capacities. Anyway, as related to Vasile, he is just doing well."
The other teachers also consider that Vasile is a diligent and communicative young man, qualities that contributed substantially to his scholar and social integration.
In his turn, Vasile speaks openly about his actual class. He likes coming to school. He sits in the first bank and feels good to share his results with the 19 classmates, who help him a lot.
Vasile’s evolution is mainly due to his mother, who is very present in boy’s education, assists him thoroughfully in homework preparation and takes care that relationship between brothers isn’t affected by the years of separation, while Vasile was away.
The elder son attends the kindergarten. He is accompanied in the morning by the parents, while in the evening is taken home by Vasile. Once turned home, Vasile took his big brother’s role. The other brother was enrolled in the army some months ago.
Vasile confessed us happily that when the three brother will come together again, he and the other brother will share the same room, which was reorganized, cleaned up and redesigned with his participation.
Vasile’s family lives in a distant region, where can barely seen a middle of transport… not to mention that Vasile is still facing problems with his health condition. Even so, he would never give up school, even if he has to go by pass in late autumn or when outside is snowing and is cold enough. Normally, he needs 45-50 minutes to get to school. Things change when he is ill or when it’s raining or snowing.
The family received a 7000 lei support from P4EC. From these money they could build a stove, design and reorganize one room for Vasile. We’re happy to mention that this support contributed a lot to family’s strengthening, that do their best to ensure the best conditions for the boys’ development.
1 For privacy reasons, the names of all personages were changed.