Parents and staff of the Special Boarding School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children, located at 37 Kulatov Street in Bishkek, expressed their dissatisfaction regarding the possible relocation of the institution to the village of Vorontsovka. This information was announced at a press conference in the capital.
Bekbolsun Alymbaev, who has been working at the school for almost ten years, noted that the issue of relocating the institution has become extremely relevant. He added that parents are urging local authorities to consider the option of renovating or updating the current building while keeping the school in its original location.
The educator emphasized that the main argument against the relocation is the necessity for socialization of children with visual impairments.
In his opinion, moving the school to the village would lead to the isolation of students, while it is crucial for them to learn to interact with society and adapt to the urban environment. He also pointed out the difficulties with transportation: trips to Vorontsovka would require parents to leave home earlier with their children to catch the bus, which, in turn, would change their daily routine and class schedule.
She noted that many children have developed familiar safe routes around Bishkek over the years of study, orienting themselves based on familiar streets and stops, including thanks to sound signals in public transport.
“They already know the way well; many of them use canes. If the school is moved to Vorontsovka, the children will be isolated, and they will have to learn to socialize again as adults,” Orozalieva added.
She also highlighted the difficulties that parents and relatives with visual impairments may face when bringing their children to the new school.
Iskender Sultanaliyev, one of the parents, shared his concerns about the possible relocation of the educational institution.
“We hardly sleep. I am blind myself, and my wife has poor vision. We send our children to school by taxi, as we cannot drive a car,” he said.
According to him, ideas of inclusive education are actively developing around the world, and such institutions are often located closer to the city center.
“My daughters are currently in grades 5-6 and participate in after-school clubs. When they grow up, we planned for them to attend courses to prepare for the ORT and to be able to enter university. If the school is in Vorontsovka, they will not have this opportunity. Who will teach them additional courses? How will they prepare for the ORT? Right now, they live in society, play with other children, and if they are in Vorontsovka all day, that opportunity will disappear,” Iskender Sultanaliyev noted.
He also expressed concerns that relocating the school could negatively affect the health of children due to long trips and traffic jams. According to him, the journey could take up to 3-4 hours a day, which would reduce the time for sleep and homework. Moreover, the bus is unlikely to pick up the children directly from home, and parents will have to transport them to the meeting point. Iskender emphasized that it is more difficult for blind children to move around, as they cannot move quickly, and additional trips will incur extra financial costs.
