Keitha Osborne | Give special education a special push

One must ponder the reports in the media of children with academic and physical challenges, as well as behavioural issues. In June, there was the publicised case of a child who passed the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) for Meadowbrook High School, but the school was unable to accommodate him because he uses a wheelchair.

The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Information (MOEYI) was made aware of the school's inability to adequately meet the needs of the student and arranged for him to be transferred. In a Gleaner article published June 29, 2018, the writer outlined the various projects related to fixing school facilities and the allotment the MOEYI had set aside to help alleviate challenges persons with special needs would face on school compounds, but until these projects are completed, the challenges persist.

The more recently publicised incident is the Calabar High School saga where 50 underperforming grade 10 students were expelled from the school. Again, because of the amount of publicity, the minister of education made a strong pronouncement regarding the action of the school, and some of the students were reinstated.

So, by the same token, I am using the media and the possible public support to be garnered through same to express deep concern for children who are facing academic and behavioural challenges, as well as those diagnosed with special needs.

Despite the MOEYI's commitment to the realisation of the Vision 2030 goals of providing world-class standards in education and ensuring that all children are fully literate, it is evident from the national assessments that our children are struggling. The same one-size-fits-all approach to teaching all children, including those with learning and behavioural deficits, cannot continue.

TRAINED INTERVENTION

For the MOEYI's mantra 'Every Child Can Learn, Every Child Must Learn' to represent the educational reality, it is imperative that our children be provided with the necessary tools, skills, and interventions to help them succeed.

Once a child has been identified as having difficulty, intervention by trained specialists such as special-education teachers is needed to effectively address same. Additionally, if intervention programmes are to succeed, more persons trained in the area are needed. Smaller class sizes and greater classroom resources will also be essential to aid with the process.

I applaud the Ministry of Education's initiatives to reduce class size, employ more special-education teachers through the Alternative Pathway to Secondary Education (APSE) programme in addition to the growth in the Career Advancement Programme.

The programmes are not without challenges. For example, this year, not all the posts for Pathway coaches and Pathway teachers under the APSE programme were filled. It is to be highlighted that these programmes will not bear the desired results if all teachers participating in all programmes implemented are not trained to meet the diverse needs of students. Teachers trained in the area of special education are equipped to teach core subject areas, in addition to dealing with the associated behavioural and emotional needs of students.

Given the aforementioned, I am recommending and appealing for support for the Ministry of Education to offer scholarships to persons interested in pursuing a teaching degree in special education. Opportunities are available for persons pursuing the sciences, mathematics and vocational training. The number of trained special-education teachers is inadequate to meet the growing needs of today's students.

These scholarships will allow more persons to enter the profession to assist with the development of our nation's children, thus allowing them to realise their full potential.

- Author Keitha Osborne is a lecturer in the Special Education Department at The Sam Sharpe Teachers' College. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and keitha.osborne@samsharpe.edu.jm.