"God willing, we envision to operate in June this year," Erlinda Aguilar, assistant school administrator, said in a press conference at the Krua Thai restaurant Monday, following the groundbreaking ceremony at the school's site on Coral Street at Marfori Subdivision.
For a start, she said the school envisions to attend to the around 150 exceptional children.
Aguilar said the budget for the school operation is roughly P2.4 million. She said a parent needs to prepare a total of P65,000 to P70,000 if she wishes to enroll her child with AME.
Angel Lawrence Dean, school administrator, said they will start to assess exceptional children as early as April this year.
"Our difference from other existing Sped (special education) schools is that we are catering to all exceptional children either they are advanced or delayed. Advanced children are those who are gifted, talented and intelligent, while delayed children are those who go beyond our norms like those with mental retardation and physical disability," Dean said.
Dean said that unlike other special education schools, AME will be teaching exceptional children based on their needs, not based on their disability.
"We will be grouping the children in one class based on their needs," Dean said, adding that a therapy and a feeding program for the children will also be done along with the learning.
The Department of Education reported a total of 10 existing Sped schools in Southern Mindanao, only two of which are private-owned.
Around 6,330 exceptional children in Davao Region are enrolled in special education as of last year.
