The History of Sara Cohen School

 

Who were Mark and Sara Cohen?


Mark Cohen spent his adult life in work that he considered would benefit and improve society. His wife Sara supported him in his many enterprises. Mark Cohen was a journalist who was Editor of the 'Evening Star'. He was also a City Councillor for eight years and was a strong supporter of women's sufferage. In 1894 he was elected to the Otago  Education Board. Mark Cohen travelled overseas and was aware of developments in education. in 1912 he was appointed chairman of the Education Commission.



When was Sara Cohen School established?

On his return from overseas in 1915 Mark Cohen was aware that the Victoria Children's Pavilion at Dunedin Hospital was not being fully used for its intended purpose of caring for sick children. Land and property became available at Forbury Corner and Mark Cohen was instrumental in raising  money for the purchase and development of the area as a location for a children's convalescent home.



Initially the property was developed into the Prince Edward Convalescent Home but further land was developed to become the Richard Hudson Kindergarten. Subsequently alongside this was developed the 'Fresh-air' or 'Open-air School'. The school, which opened in 1926, operated in conjunction with the Convalescent Home, the convalescent children taking lessons at the school, and the school-children taking a midday meal at the home. Sara Cohen had died in 1923 and the school was named the Sara Cohen Memorial School.




How did the School develop from its early beginnings?

In 1948 extensions to the school were completed at a cost of nine thousand pounds, providing accommodation for up to 60 pupils. By 1954 the roll had dropped to 28 and the school finally closed for physically handicapped children in December 1955, the remaining pupils being transferred to Kensington School. On 1 July 1956 the 41 Occupation Centre children transferred to the Sara Cohen Memorial School. The 1956 annual Report of the Education Board states that "the children are now housed comfortably in their new quarters, where they have adequate playing area". 


The first Occupation Center, as Special Schools and School Groups were then known, was opened on 6 September, 1938, with a roll of 10 pupils who had not previously been enrolled at any other school. Their ages ranged from 6 to 17 years and the latter boy stayed at school until just on his 21st birthday.

The circumstances leading up to the Occupation Centre's establishment were that at a Conference of the National Council of Women of N.Z. in 1937 a remit was passed asking the Minister of Education to establish centres for the training of intellectually handicapped children, i.e. 'Children below the standard of those catered for in the special classes in the large city schools'.


There was in Dunedin at that time an English exchange teacher, Miss J.C. Green, who was specially trained and qualified to work with intellectually handicapped children, and the Otago Education Board set up a centre in the basement of their building in Moray Place with Miss Green as teacher in charge. At the request of the Board the Dunedin branch of the National Council of Women formed a committee to assist in the work of the centre, and in August the following year (1939) the first Parents' Association was formed.


The Education Department stated as its purposes for the operation Centres: To develop the children mentally, physically, socially, within the limitations imposed by their handicaps so that both at the Centre, and in their homes, the children may lead happy, interesting lives. The curriculum therefore should include such activities as habit training, sense training, physical training, speech training, handwork, music and movement, story telling, gardening, training in simple domestic tasks, table manners, etc. Provision is also to be made for periods of free play and relaxation. These activities continued to form the basis of the program at Sara Cohen Memorial School for many years.



The buildings on the site adjusted to the expanding roll with the 'church room' being built in 1961 and 'pre-fab' buildings in place in 1969. In 1980 permanent rooms replaced the temporary classrooms and the staff and administration facilities were up-graded.


The 1980's was a time of growth at Sara Cohen Memorial School and it was also a time when society was beginning to question how to support people with disabilities. The changes that saw the closing of Psychopaedic Hospitals and the recognition that all children had the right to be educated in their own neighborhood school had a major impact on the school. In recognition  of the rights of all young people with disabilities the school community adjusted the type of teaching support provided. Sara Cohen School was emerging as a resource base where schools and families could access support for young people. Sara Cohen School teachers traveled to other schools and worked with young people in their  classrooms and as the changes that occurred with the advent of Special Education 2000 impacted on schools the need for the support of specialist teachers has grown.