NASSAU: Officers of the Special Education Unit of the Ministry of Education Science and Technology presented the Honourable Jerome Fitzgerald with the manual for National Standards for Inclusive Education. The manual is designed to educate school administrators and teachers about their obligations to make school campuses conducive for the delivery of education to all students according to the Education Act.
On receiving the standards manual, National Standards for Inclusive Education he indicated that he would also present it in the House of Assembly. The Minister also noted that both of the projects were products of the IDB loan and Inspire project, formerly the “Support Programme for Transforming Education and Training which was initiated in 2005 by then Minister of Education, Science and Technology, The Honourable Alfred Sears.
“It was Minister Sears’ vision to bring us a step closer to the goal of Inclusive Education for a considerable portion of our student population in in The Bahamas; who for a while has been underserved by our educational system,” Minister Fitzgerald stated.
The Minister further noted that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology supported the definition of Inclusive Education purported by UNESCO’s Education for All Goals, which defines it as – ‘a process that respects diversity and varying degrees of needs and abilities of students in communities – eliminating discrimination.’
Minister Fitzgerald disclosed that National Standards for Inclusive Education Committee was governed by these principles in conducting their research and exploration to develop the manual which would assist educators and relevant agencies with doing what is necessary to ensure that students with disabilities are served within our educational system.
He also indicated that in addition to the manual the Accessible Education Centre at Our Lady’s School, would be an important component in assisting the Ministry in fulfilling its mission which is to, “Provide all persons in The Bahamas an opportunity to receive an education that will equip them with the necessary beliefs, attitudes, knowledge and skills required for work and for life in a democratic society guided by Christian values.”
The National Standards Committee for Inclusive Education (NSCIE) established six focus areas to achieve their goal:
1.Identification
2. Planning
3. Individual Education Program and Individual Family Service Plan
4. Parent Participation
5. Access to Specialized supports
6. Provision and Accommodation
Minister Fitzgerald expressed that Professional Development will be added to the list, as it is not good enough to just place the manual in the hands of every teacher and believe the job of inclusive education will be accomplished. Starting in early 2014, teachers and other relevant persons will be engaged in professional workshops conducted at the Our Lady’s Diagnostic Centre by the Special Services/Education Units and the Professional Development Institute at the Mabel Walker Primary School.
The Minister stated that his responsibility for the education for all school-age children in The Bahamas – whether they attend a public or private school, dictates that every effort is made to ensure that all teachers within The Commonwealth of The Bahamas have access to the manual and are familiar with what it entails.
“We do not see this document as a panacea to address years all of the deficiencies in the area of accessible education, however we do see it as a part of a multifaceted approach to make a difference in the lives of thousands of students underserved and denied their right to a quality education in this country, Minister Fitzgerald stated.
The Minister noted that considerable advances have been made in the field of accessible Education, with the assistance and financial support of many public-private sector partnerships namely – the Centre for the Deaf; the Stapledon School; the Salvation Army School for the Blind, REACH and Eyes Wide Open.
“We are proud of the passionate and concerned special educators who push and lobby on behalf of their students, to receive an education that will empower them for life. Many of their students are receiving instruction in mainstream classrooms at schools such schools as C. C. Sweeting Senior High, H. O. Nash Junior High School, Anatol Rodgers High School S. C. McPherson Junior High School and Oakes Field Primary School and producing impressive results in National Examinations and in the classroom. They are being taught that they can do anything and be anything that they would like to be,” he stated.
According to Minister Fitzgerald and ADE Ollymae Knowles, available data shows that twenty –five per cent of the school age population can be categorized as Special Needs. This spectrum includes the mentally retarded to the gifted students. The Special Education/Services is presently conducting an audit to determine the precise number of students fall into these groups so that intervention can occur.
Source: Bahama islands info