–Education Minister says

MINISTER of Education, Priya Manickchand, led a team from the Ministry of Education, on Tuesday, to engage teachers who teach at Special Education Needs (SEN) schools across the country.

According to the Education Ministry, in a release on Tuesday, the consultation was to hear from teachers within this area about what they believe the Ministry can do to improve the SEN sector in terms of education delivery and the needs of students and teachers.

Minister Manickchand said that SEN cannot be ignored and that it is an area that the Ministry of Education, as well as the Government of Guyana, feels strongly about.

“This is something that we feel strongly about. We have to address it comprehensively,” the Education Minister noted.

Teachers on Tuesday, the Education Ministry noted raised several points about how the system for SEN students and teachers can be improved at the various institutions and nationally.

Minister Manickchand told the educators that the Ministry was genuine about moving the sector forward and that such cannot be done without their contribution.

She said that special education needs children have more specialised needs than children who do not have special needs. As such, a different and much more effective approach has to be taken to make their experience in school more fulfilling and rewarding.

Further, she said that she believes that the Ministry was on a solid platform to move the sector forward for SEN so that the system can produce citizens who can be self-sufficient when they leave school, thereby fulfilling the purpose of benefitting from a good education.

Further, Minister Manickchand said that a special pathway programme would commence in September at the Cyril Potter College of Education to train interested persons to become Special Education Needs teachers.

Minister Manickchand was joined Tuesday by the Chief Education Officer, Dr. Marcel Hutson; Deputy Chief Education Officer (Development), Ms. Volika Jaikishun; Deputy Chief Education Officer (AHED), Mr. Marti DeSouza; Education Specialist, Dr. Olato Sam; Principal of CPCE, Ms. Noella Joseph; Vice-Principal (Curriculum and Instruction), Ms. Kevaun Sears and Coordinator of the Regional Special Education Needs/Disability Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Mr. Keon Cheong.