Ana
A year ago, Ana was the best pupil of Albinetul-Vechi, Falesti auxiliary school. With grades of 9 and 8 almost for all school disciplines, she participated in all sport and artistic contests for children from special schools. Ana was the help and hope of the teacher. Sometimes she was asked to teach classes, replacing her. "She is the pride of the school, and I won’t admit her to leave", the school headmaster used to say every time the girl’s mother tried to talk about transferring Ana to the school in her community.
Vasilisa Grigore, the community social assistant on, says that Ana got to the institution by some absurd accident. The teachers of Albinetul Vechi residential institution obtained her transfer to this special school, to determine her brother, who had been studying there for several years, to stop running away from the facility.
"The school headmaster came and took her away from home. It was only after a month that she was taken to the medico-psycho-pedagogical commission — and this body disgnosed her with light mental delay, although Ana was a smart child who never had learning problems", says the girl’s mother.
This horrible error was corrected only last year, when a different commission revised the diagnosis of mental delay, deciding that it was attributed abusively to the girl.
After the reorganization of the auxiliary school where the girl studied, Ana returned home, to her mother and elder brother, leaver of Albinetul Vechi school. The family copes with much difficulty, the only stable source of income being the state social allowance. This several-hundred-lei income is added up by occasional earnings of Ana’s brother, who works on day-basis for better-off village inhabitants. With the certificate issued by the auxiliary school, the young man could not go study for a profession.
Although at school Ana was provided at least three meals a day, in more or less warm and clean conditions, the girl says she would never give the parent’s home for the pretended comfort of the institution — despite the fact that sometimes it is hard for them to find wood for the heating and they get good food only on holidays.
The girl’s mother also says that she would never again accept anyone take her away from home. "I didn’t know that Albinetul Vechi school is for children with problems. I thought the teachers there would help Ana study better. I was shocked to find that my elder son would be given only a certificate of attendance, instead of secondary education diploma", witnesses the woman.
Ana is not very enthusiastic to remember about her auxiliary school time, although, in a way, she was the teachers’ and the headmaster’s favourite there, thank to her excellent school records there.
"We were ashamed to step out of the school courtyard — the children from the community would tell us that we studied in a school for the stupid ones, pointing their fingers on us. Our teachers used to encourage us, advising us not to pay attention to what those children said, especially because we had the best performance at the concerts that organized in the village from time to time", says Ana.
Ana is far from being the best pupil in her class now that she studies in the community school, because she stays very much behind her classmates, and some disciplines they have been studied for years are completely new to her. Although it’s difficult, Ana is trying to cope, being supported by her colleagues and teachers, especially helpful being the school support staff, who are helping her with the homework and extra classes. Ana has now a program of school recovery, which should help her fill all the gaps in her education. The little spare time she still has after doing her homework, Ana spends reading, helping her mother around the house, especially cooking something tasty. Ana’s dream is to become a cook, so that she often lays the table with courses "like on wedding and baptismal parties".