Student with disability joins 73,000 for exams

By JINA AMBA
HENDRY Kolly may not be able to hear but he joined about 73,000 other grade 10s in the country to start his examinations yesterday.
Kolly, 22, from Southern Highlands, is a student at Gerehu Secondary School in the nation’s capital.
He has impaired hearing but that is overcome this week through the presence of sign language interpreter and teacher for persons with disability Anna Thomas.
Thomas said Kolly was an average student but was committed to his education and did well at school.
She said Gerehu was an inclusive school.
Kolly aims to complete his grade 12, earn a certificate and find a decent job to sustain himself.
Thomas said Kolly wanted to be a carpenter.
“He is already into carpentry work, he can just observe and fix things,” she said.
Thomas said during his two years at Gerehu, teachers and students were “very helpful” to Kolly.
She said some students had learnt the sign language to communicate with Kolly and others just exchanged notes with him.
Thomas said he was the only student in the class with disability.
Kolly started school in Mt Sion Callan Service in Goroka and was then sent to Port Moresby.
He did his grades seven and eight at Boreboa Primary School in Port Moresby and was selected to Gerehu Secondary School last year to do grades nine and 10.