She has drawn in other Americans and Canadians to come and teach at this amazing school and inspired the entire community to change its attitude towards learning and physically disabled children and support the school through donations. Turning personal tragedy into a beacon of hope and a model for the future, this story has many positive messages for parents, students and whole societies
Our documentary, “Every Child Co unts”, tells the inspiring and uplifting tale of a group of parents in a small community who were faced with a bleak situation; other children bullied their learning-disabled children, and their teachers weren’t trained to deal with them. Some were even told their children should not be in school at all.
The film traces the humble origins of the school, named Every Child Counts, which began with just a handful of volunteers and concerned parents, to its present-day status as a beacon of hope to the nation and a shining example of what a school can be. The teachers, parents and students share their stories of struggles and success, and we see how the children have blossomed at the school, and how they have become ambassadors for changing attitudes in the community.
ECC is becoming a model for creating similar schools throughout the region, where the students are spread throughout many islands and funding for alternative schools is hard to find, but one enormous problem remains. Although the Catholic Archdiocese ensures the continued use of the school property and some in kind services, the government pays the salaries of only two teachers and the majority of parents can’t afford to pay the modest school fees. This means most of the financing must come from donations. How long can it hold on? What can be done to ensure it all doesn’t blow away on a strong island breeze?
Showtimes
Thursday, December 10 / 11:00am
Melia Hotel
Credits
Director
Wendy Loten (Attending)
Screenwriter
Wendy Loten
Producer
Wendy Loten
Principal Cast
Elissa Landsell