SVG celebrates World Down Syndrome Day

The excitement was palpable at the Fairhall Government School yesterday, Monday, March 21 as the entire student body engaged in an afternoon of lively activities to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. 

This is the third such event being held at the primary school, which has over the years become known for its efforts of inclusion, having taken steps to meaningfully integrate students with varying disabilities into the mainstream school system.

“It’s a full school event but we did so specifically to get the Down syndrome students involved…” headteacher, Angella Kydd- Roberts told SEARCHLIGHT yesterday, adding that the activities also serve as reinforcement for the students with Down syndrome to “have a sense of belonging so they know that there are things they can do and can excel and succeed at it”. 

Currently, there are four students with Down Syndrome enrolled at the Fairhall Government School in Grades K, three, four and five.

Kydd- Roberts explained that learning for these students often includes a lot of repetition and additional use of teaching aid materials to help develop their fine motor skills. 

“They take a longer time because they are developmentally delayed but we try as much as possible to get the resources that will enable their learning…” she said. “We give them a lot of love, take our time with them, give them one and one…some of these children can function in the mainstream, it’s just that you have to use a different strategy or a different approach…” 

The headteacher praised the students enrolled for the progress they have made at school, noting that they perform fairly well and have excellent communication skills. 

Yesterday’s World Down Syndrome Day activities at the primary institution kicked off sometime after one with the Down Syndrome students opening the games with ‘pin the sock on the foot’. 

Other events included an obstacle colour run, ‘throw the sock in the bucket’ and a variety of other games. 

“It was just a whole evening of fun and activities for the children,” Mischa Young, deputy headteacher told SEARCHLIGHT, adding that students from the entire school population were able to take part, including the children with special needs “It was our third time. We had two before and Corona stopped us from having anymore for the last two years but we’re back at it again. At Fairhall, we do inclusion. We are a child-friendly primary school and we do what we have to accommodate all the children we have in our care,” Young told SEARCHLIGHT. 

World Down Syndrome Day is commemorated on March 21 annually, and is symbolic of people that have three copies of their 21st chromosome. 

As part of the day’s commemoration, people around the globe wear colourful mismatched socks as part of the #rockyoursocks campaign, which is symbolic of the karyotype of Ds chromosomes, that actually look like mismatched socks. 

The majority of the Fairhall Government School population, including teachers, could be seen wearing colourful mismatched socks yesterday. It was one of institutions which cater to the educational needs of Persons with Disabilities that organised activities to mark Down syndrome Day.

Opposition leader, Dr Godwin Friday, School for Children with Special Needs and a number of government officials and private sector entities, as well as local organisations were also photographed yesterday taking part in the #rockyoursocks trend. 

The wider theme for Down syndrome Day 2022 was :We Decide. It was inspired by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.