9. Special School

I am not sure whether my father changed his mind or my mother convinced him. Few years later, they tried to enroll me in school.

 

The first try was with the special school for the disabled children. I had to leave home and stay at the facility. My parents were not ready to send me to a facility and I did not want to leave home, either. So, that idea was killed rather quickly.

 

The second time was when my brother and sisters were attending a private school, ‘Sun Il Elementary,’ after we moved to Gu Pa Bal. My mother might have brought up my situation when she met my brother’s homeroom teacher. She wanted me to obtain the certificate of graduation from the elementary school. The school was open to the idea of my enrollment. My parents wanted to bring home work and test papers to me, and continue the home schooling. The school required my attendance. Therefore, that idea did not make it, either.

 

I think it was better that I did not go to the special school for the disabled. In mid-1990, I visited Korea first time since I left it 17 years ago, and stayed at ‘S’ Rehabilitation Center. They had a special school for the disabled. Some commuted from home and some stayed at the dorm.  

 

I had an opportunity to spend some time with the students. Many of them were frustrated. Regardless of their academic ability, they were put into the same class only because they all had disabilities. The class pace was dragged by the kids who had lower academic achievement. They could not reach the competitive level to move up to the next level.

 

I stayed at the dorm and ate meals with the students. Lunch menu was lot better than breakfast or dinner. Students, teachers, and other workers all ate lunch there. Only the students staying in dorm ate breakfast and dinner there. They told me that the lunch was provided as school meal. Breakfast and dinner were provided as meals of the facility for the disabled. The budget for lunch was higher than breakfast and dinner.

 

Since I left Korea in early 80’s, the welfare for the disabled in Korea has improved and many disabled came out of the closets and advanced in the society. Hardly anyone from the special schools made it, though. Those who attended the regular schools carried by their parents made it.

 

Putting the disabled in an institutionalized facility is not a solution for the welfare of the disabled. It only separates them from the society. Those who attend these special school need additional training to adopt to the outside world. Some of them never make it. They float from one facility to another.

 

The best solution is an integrated education. Those who play and study with the disabled realize their counterparts are capable of many things. They would have no fear to study, work, and live with the disabled. The disabled who does not obtain the independence remains burden to the family and the society. They rely on the government assistance and use the tax money. Those who reach the independence will pay taxes and contribute to the society. There is no need to think hard to figure out which society is more productive.

 

Some people say the United States is the heaven for the disabled. But there are hardly any free benefits to the disabled. The government assistance is based on the income level not the disabilities. I have been living here for over 30 years. I have been working and paying taxes like anybody else. It was only possible because I was given an opportunity to go to school and compete in the society.

 

I went to college after I came to the United States and finally fulfilled my dream. But I never found my lost childhood and school years. I have no childhood friend. It turns out to be a more severe handicap than my disability.