Court Orders School to Accept Disabled Student

Under a court order issued last week, a kindergartner with Down’s syndrome will be able to attend the private LincolnSchool in Moravia, east of San José, according to a statement from the Judicial Branch.

The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV) ruled against Lincoln and the Public Education Ministry for denying the student enrollment.

Lincoln argued it did not have the “ideal conditions” to educate the child, according to the statement.

The court ordered Lincoln to allow the student to attend and establish a curriculum to fit his needs.

It also ordered the Public Education Ministry to establish rules to guarantee students with disabilities access to education at all public and private schools in Costa Rica.

The boy’s mother, Dr. Natalia Quesada, told the daily La Nación that the court’s order gives these children the opportunity to integrate into society.

She said five different schools denied admittance to her 6-year-old son Emmanuel before the Pan-American School accepted him last February.