– by treating one-on-one with children with special needs

YOUTHS in Guyana with Special Education Needs (SEN) will now have equal opportunities for development as the government rolls out its first batch of teachers trained to provide them with individualised education.

The eight teachers now equipped to cater for a wide range of needs, took part in a graduation ceremony at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD) on Monday.

Partnering to achieve this milestone are the Ministries of Education, Health and Foreign Affairs; the Government of Cuba; NCERD’s Special Education Needs Unit; and the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).
The graduating teachers were trained by SEN educators from Cuba for a three-month period, and will begin working at the Centre for Stimulation and Development at CPCE, set be commissioned in September.

There at the Centre, special education needs students will be able to access speech therapy, psychology and pedagogy, from which Individualised Education Programmes (IEPs) will be developed for each child.

In her feature address, Minister of Education Nicolette Henry said that some 16 per cent of the nation’s children have special education needs, and deserve the necessary support for equal opportunities at development.

The Centre, she said, comes at an opportune time to not only serve the country’s present needs, but those of the rest of the Caribbean as well.

She told of plans for the development of a national database of children with special education needs which would help the ministry to provide greater support services to meet the existing demands.

“There is focus for the creation of a national database for students with special education needs,” Minister Henry said.

“Once a student would have been referred to the Centre subsequent to a minimum of three interventions, the student would have an official classification, and an officially drafted, individualised education plan,” she added.

As more teachers are trained, she said, they will be able to return to the mainstream education system, which can see SEN students learning within the general classroom setting as opposed to special, separate classes.

Addressing the batch of pioneers, Minister Henry said:
“Our eight teachers graduating here today are now equipped with the skills to create individuals who can achieve their full potential for Guyana.

“I thank you in advance for your service to your respective communities and beyond. With your work, your students are given the opportunity to reach higher against all the odds, and to shine as individuals without barriers and, obviously, to be an inspiration to all of us.”
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mr Vibert Welch was keen to note that not all disabled persons have special education needs, and not all with special education needs are persons with disabilities.

But, despite a child’s challenge, Welch says that each individual must be granted the right to make a contribution to their country.

Similar remarks came from the Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, Mr Narciso Socorro, and Project Coordinator, Mr Jorge Ramirez who congratulated the graduates, and said that they will now assist special needs students to reach their true potential in society.

During the ceremony, the eight graduates received certificates of completion, and were treated to a cultural presentation in song and dance from the Unit for the Blind and David Rose Special School.