First film competition for students of Special Education Needs Schools launched today
The Special Education Needs Authority (SENA), in collaboration with the Mauritius Film Development Cooperation (MFDC) and the advertising agency Grey, launched, this morning, at MCINE in Trianon, a seven-minute Film Competition themed ‘Us Too’, for students of Special Education Needs (SEN) schools.
A video-clip on autism, a joint initiative of the SENA and Grey, was also aired for the occasion.
The Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun; the Director of the SENA, Mr Deewakarsingh Authelsingh; the General Manager of the MFDC, Mr Sachin Jootun; and other personalities were present at the event.
In her address, the Vice-Prime Minister welcomed the organisation of an inaugural film competition for students with special needs, highlighting that the endeavour was in line with Government’s reform on education based on quality, equity and inclusion. She recalled that measures taken by the Ministry were geared towards the holistic and integral development of the Mauritian child.
According to Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, the role of the authorities was to provide adequate support to all children, irrespective of their skills, strengths and weaknesses, so that they achieve their full potential. She underlined that the legislative framework concerning the SENA were aligned with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Regarding the clip on autism, the Vice-Prime Minister praised the producers for its educational value with a view to foster greater inclusion and understanding. She also saluted the SENA for holding winter school holidays’ activities. Hence, since the start of the school holidays, some 1,200 children from SEN schools, accompanied by their parents, were able to watch an animated movie at the cinema free of cost.
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