Children will be in charge of everything from washing and drying laundry to making the bed and setting the table, at the new Functional Life Skills Room at Paget Primary School.

The apartment, featuring a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, is designed so that “active learners” on the autism spectrum can put life skills into practice that many of us take for granted. After a successful pilot programme at West Pembroke Primary School, the room within Paget Primary was officially opened yesterday after two years of planning and work.

Students, special learning staff and dignitaries attended a special assembly honouring the eight students at Paget Primary on the autism spectrum.

The life skills room is testament to the school’s understanding that those who learn differently require different teaching methods. The project has also sparked interest from other schools, with children from Prospect Primary in attendance yesterday. Special aid teacher Freda Trimm, whose vision saw the programme implemented, told The Royal Gazette: “Our active learners will use this every day. We adopted the old programme from West Pembroke — when I was there it was my dream to incorporate the life skill programme but I was moved to Paget Primary.

“Words cannot describe how I feel. The children have been totally excited [that] they are very much involved in the day-to-day running of the house.

“My inspiration comes from the children — you teach them each day and you see what is needed.

“It is going to prepare them for life; the things that we take for granted, students with exceptionalities need prompting in some areas. It is about redirecting them.

“Every day is a step forward and they get closer and closer to their goals. You have to reinforce it daily.”

Education minister Cole Simons, who used to attend Paget Primary School but would not reveal “how many decades ago”, sat with the children to say: “Today is a special day for our active learners. I read the motto of the school, which says you learn something every day if you listen and how very appropriate.

“This is a testament to our education system. I said when I came on board that I want our education system to serve all people with different learning styles.

“Our role is to provide first-class education services to this country to everyone and today demonstrates the success we are having in the special learning arena.

“So to the teachers, to Ms Trimm,

the Department of Education, I applaud you.”

Mr Simons also applauded Dame Jennifer Smith, the former premier and education minister under the Progressive Labour Party, for “her vision” as she introduced the pilot programme to West Pembroke School, which has been developed for Paget Primary School.

Dame Jennifer told The Royal Gazette: “I remember visiting this school when I was premier — it was the first school I visited. Way back when I was in school, everybody expected little children to learn alike.

“Having learnt that all children do not learn alike it was important for us to try to do a pilot programme. Now we have learning difficulties in different areas — already the other teachers in the school are thinking ‘can I bring my students down here?’ And there are students from other schools — today Prospect is visiting.

“These ladies had a legacy planted in them by their teachers and they are leading the legacy for the new crop of teachers.”

The Functional Life Skills Room was repurposed from an abandoned room in the school and will serve students aged 6 to 10. The eight students with autism at Paget Primary who will use the room the most were keen to show the guests around their house. Just before the ribbon cutting, a few children said: “Welcome to our house,” and “we want you to enjoy yourself”.

The room itself is warmly decorated in autumnal colours, complete with rugs, a vase of flowers, artwork on the walls and even a pet fish.

Lovitta Foggo, shadow education minister, said she was “elated and overjoyed” to see the programme come to fruition. She said: “It gives me much pleasure to see how you can take something with community effort and a desire and turn it into the type of unit that you know will enhance the skills and development of those who traditionally learn very differently.

“Hats off to all of those who had a hand in making today happen — it’s a job well done.”