Mangalore: 'Special' talents come to the fore at St Agnes Special School event

Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (NM)

Mangalore, Feb 4: St Agnes Special School was host to a variety of cultural events by special children, during the annual function organized at the school premises on Sunday February 3.

This was a fund raiser organized by the management, parent-teacher association (PTA) and the students of St Agnes Special School to facilitate the construction of a school conference hall.

Parents of the children shed tears of joy looking at their wards performing to the beats and tunes of various English, Hindi, and Kannada songs.

Earlier, during the stage programme, chief guest Dr G Shankar, chairman, G S Family Trust, said, “Looking after differently-abled children is not easy. I know this as I own a special school. Moreover, these children have a special power and that has to be identified,” he stressed.

Lauding the management and parents for encouraging these differently abled children, Dr Shankar added, “These children should be fed encouragement and not sympathy. Their proper training is possible only in schools.”

Commenting on the contributions of the Christian community, he said, “Their service towards education and health is tremendous in the region”.

Briefing about the history of the special school, Sr M Olivia, joint secretary, said, “The special school was started on August 4, 1970, with four children in the first batch. Now there are 232 children in the school and 65 adults at the workshop.”

As part of the programme, ‘Hasya Lahari’ by Richard Louis and team, Bangalore, served the audience a dollop of laughter. 

Sr Maria Shruthi, principal, welcomed, Alwyn Peris, vice-president of the PTA, thanked the gathering. Irine Pinto, president of the PTA, shared the dais. Balakrishna Puttige introduced the guests. Sponsors were felicitated on the occasion.