I can do everything, except what I can still learn
ACATO IN THE MEDIA
Rotterdam - Last week, Derek Otte, the city poet of Rotterdam, donated a line of poetry to Acato. The line is from a poem that Derek wrote for the Education Parade.
"I can do everything, except what I can still learn." A saying that fits the young people who attend Acato like no other. The pupils of Acato can do anything, because the urge and talent to create comes from within. But there is always something to learn so that the talent gets the chance to develop further.
Acato is a school for young people with a form of autism. It is a very small school with a lot of attention for the individual. For the pupils of Acato, regular education is not an option because schools are often too busy. Moreover, the pace there is fixed and many things have to be finished at the same time.
At Acato, everything goes at a pace determined by the pupils themselves. The type of lessons, content and form are also determined by the pupils themselves. That is why the range of lessons grows with each new enrolled pupil. There are many lessons to be followed in the field of visual arts. Some pupils also learn for exams. And there are lessons in digital drawing, computer programming and costume sewing.
Last Friday, Derek Otte personally screwed his line of poetry to the facade of the school. Derek feels connected to Acato. "Because," he said during the small ceremony, "my education was not easy either. What I am good at comes from me. I didn't learn that at school." So he did not have to think long when he was asked to donate his line of poetry to the school. He thinks it is the nicest way to see his work. Derek hopes to be able to do something for Acato in the future.
Acato is part of the Bloemfleur Foundation.
Published in De Havenloods.