You will I hope have read our feature story yesterday “Cayman Islands government statement regarding Lighthouse School complaints” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/cayman-islands-government-statement-regarding-lighthouse-school-complaints/

The government statement was “provided in relation to the enquiries that have been raised regarding complaints received about the Lighthouse School and the ensuing investigation and findings of that investigation. The complaint received expressed concerns about the leadership of the school.”

Leadership? One can only ask, “What leadership?”

Thankfully it would appear correct steps are being put in place. However, nothing would have been done except for a complaint they had received.

“It was revealed to the Ministry of Education and Department of Education Services, through the complaint, that some staff at the Lighthouse School was involved in a game of impersonating students,” the statement says.

A GAME of IMPERSONATING STUDENTS. What the statement doesn’t say is that it was TEACHERS impersonating their special needs students!

“It was also expressed in the complaint that students are not treated well by some staff and that some of the behaviour boarders on bullying.”

BULLYING by staff members?

“All staff has been re-trained about child protection prevention and procedures as well as their duties with regards to child protection”.

Staff have been RE-TRAINED! You need to retrain staff not to bully their pupils and not to treat their special needs with RESPECT?

I have no training whatsoever that I must not bully children (I am a father of 2). I have no training in how I must treat special needs children with respect and without disparagement. It is something inbred in me as a parent and a person.

If someone bullies children and ridicules their special needs he or she does not need “re-training” . He or she does not belong anywhere near these children.

Why are these persons still at the school?

If you feel uncomfortable around disabled persons and the challenges that come with it then training can help overcome that. But no amount of training is going to help so called ‘teachers’ who bully and ‘impersonate’ children of ‘special needs’ calling it a game.

Get rid of them now!!

Helen Okobokekeimei writes a splendid article in The Huffington Post “People with Disabilities as Social Outcasts: Shifting the Perspective from Victim to Advocate” – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/helen-okobokekeimei/people-with-disabilities-_1_b_3744152.html

She writes, “Everyone should ask themselves, what similarities and differences do I have with people who have disabilities? To what extent do people think individuals with disabilities are different? Nobody should be ostracized for something they have no control over.”

“THIS IS AN ISSUE I FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT BECAUSE I HAVE A LEARNING DISABILITY AND HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION. I HAVE ENDURED SO MANY OBSTACLES, BUT I AM NOW AN ADVOCATE FOR DISABILITY RIGHTS. EVERYONE SHOULD TREAT DISABLED INDIVIDUALS WITH RESPECT, DIGNITY, AND CONCERN.”

She concludes:

“Educators, policymakers, and business leaders need to come to a consensus. Everyone needs to send a message to nondisabled people: please help enable disabled individuals to be successful and to have opportunities in life, to pursue their passion, and to be happy. Be wise in interactions with disabled people. I am proud of having a disability. I would not change myself for what society would find more comfortable. The lesson here is to accept people with disabilities for who they are.”

I am ashamed that the government employed such persons totally unfit for the task they were employed and I am incredulous