High School and Rehabilitation Centre “Partenij Zografski”

With certain steps towards the future

It is the first day of the second term. The students from the High School and Rehabilitation Centre “Partenij Zografski” are back in their desks. More and more children are entering their classrooms. The sound of machines can be heard, the computer in the computer lab turned on, with smile on their faces, the students tell each other what has happened to them during the New Year and the winter holidays using the sign language.

“Partenij Zografski” high school doe not differ from the other high schools. The students’ energy can be felt here as in any other school. The only difference is that the sign language is the one that dominates here. The teachers teach the lessons using that language since the students in this school are hard of hearing. That is the only difference. Those who think that in the centres where “children with special needs” are educated, everything is different, have definitely got the wrong picture. The atmosphere and the lessons go on in a usual way, with all advantages and disadvantages that the other schools are faced with. Besides, every school has its specifics.

“Partenij Zografski” high school has existed for five decades now”, says the Principal Trajko Trajkovski. “In that period, we have provided several thousands hard of hearing young people from all over Macedonia and former Yugoslavia with the skills of mechanical technicians in several areas of the mechanical engineering – locksmiths, welders, metal workers and textile workers, that is sewers- manufacturers of ready-made clothes. If the interest arises in future, the school may organize classes for wood processing and graphic designers” – explains Trajkovski.

He also says that the school building and the classrooms are adjusted to the needs of the hearing impaired children. “The classes too are adjusted to the students needs. We are trying to provide them with the necessary knowledge, skills and habits they need if they want to integrate themselves successfully in the society. In that direction, we are making efforts to modernize the school equipment. We receive donations, for example, the computer laboratory which we received from the Chinese Government, while the Internet connection provided the USAID. We also received an important donation from the European Agency for Reconstruction who donated a number of machines for the mechanical and textile departments. The Japanese Government donated video cameras and stereos. We equipped the rest of the classrooms ourselves”, adds Trajkovski.

Considering the fact that “Partenij Zografski” is the only high school in Macedonia for educating hard of hearing children, it functions as a boarding school and its sleeping quarters provides accommodation for about 30 children from various towns in Macedonia. “We are trying to make sure that the students use their free time in a most creative and useful way”, says the supervisor Milisav Jovanovski. “If you want the students to grow into a complete person, you must make sure you provide them with all segments of their educations. And that is our goal in the centre. So, apart from the other contents, we also pay attention to the physical education, aesthetics, ethics and the civil education”.

 

Musical and stage performance of “Makedonska Krvava Svadba”
 

The students from this school participated in the five-year project which was going on in cooperation with the Museum of Macedonia and the Museum of Ethnology, within the project that studies the national history and the Macedonian tradition and customs. Thus, they managed to become familiar with the tradition of celebrating “Badnik”, the Macedonian embroidery and the secrets of pottery. Despite the fact they are hard of hearing, they managed to learn the Macedonian folk dance. The students are especially proud of the celebration of five decades of the school’s existence. The jubilee, which was celebrated in October last year at the Army House, was marked by a musical-stage performance of “Makedonska Krvava Svadba” which the public received with applause.

“All our students’ achievements are glad to us, since they prove our students can become part of all social events like anyone else”, emphasizes the supervisor Jovanovski.

Of course, it was not our intention to present you a picture of a boarding school where children live according to some strict and inflexible rules and norms, without the typical socializing of the young people. The supervisors, of course, tolerate certain “incidents” typical for the adolescents.

“The children are great. We communicate well and we have understanding for each other”, says the pedagogue (student counsellor) Sande Sterjov. “Sometimes they come to my office complaining that the teachers have been too strict with them and ask me to examine the case, but those are only temporary emotional reactions to which we find solutions very quickly.”

A group of students allowed our reporters’ team to enter their room and to be part of their socializing. We saw a lot of posters on the walls, books and notebooks on the tables, teen-magazines on their beds, teddy bears, etc. Typical teenage rooms. However, when the time came to talk to the reporter, everyone ran away. Taking photos was out of the question. All right, haven’t we all been shy at their age? Eventually, we found one hero. His name was Senad Osmanovski, he comes from Bitola and says he gets on well at school. His favourite subject is Macedonian language and literature. He goes out in the Skoje cafes with his friends, sometimes they go to the cinema or at the Deaf People’s Club. He can surf on the Internet and he confessed that he sometimes sent love messages to his girl peers.

 

Great craftsmen.

 

The Professor Blaze Mitrev who teaches the subjects mechanical elements with technical mechanics, technology of processing and technology of weldering says that besides teaching the obligatory lessons, the teacher’s task is to direct and warn the students about all challenges they will face in their future. “You know, sometimes my students are too sensitive. Sometimes, as in any other school, they get reprimanded if they do not complete their tasks or lack discipline, but here they are a bit more emotional and blame everything on their handicap. They ask me whether I would treat them like that if they had been in the regular education. I am trying to tell them that the remarks have nothing to do with their handicap, but with their behaviour. They must face the reality. They must acquire excellent working habits and learn to fight for themselves in life. When they finish school and stop being under their teachers protection, in their jobs and in life, generally, they will face both good and bad things, like everybody else, adds Mitrev, who, among other things, is a coordinator of the practical learning and emphasizes that the students from Partenij Zografski school are excellent craftsmen and many employers would like to have them in their workshops.

 

With certain steps towards the future
 

Unfortunately, some parents are still showing resistance and do not want to let their children go to the so-called “schools for children with special needs”, although it would be best for them to learn in an environment specially adjusted to their psycho-physical abilities. Children in the school are enabled to move forward, be independent in life and find their way. There is a Law which gives the employers certain benefits if they employ people with special needs, so many employers come to the school to look for potential workers in their companies. The students and the teachers keep in touch after the students graduate. One generation graduates, another one comes, but when our former students find jibs and form families, they do not forget those who looked after them in the most sensitive period of their lives. Many photographs of former students are in the albums of the teachers, pedagogues and supervisors from “Partenij Zografski” schools.

By Marija Kuka