The Ministry of Education is awaiting sufficient funding to implement a comprehensive special education needs programme, according to education minister Ingrid Buffonge.
She was responding to a request for an update on the government’s plans from opposition leader Paul Lewis at the latest Montserrat Legislative Assembly meeting on 21 January.
The minister told members that the education ministry is preparing a fully-funded special educational needs programme with the full complement of staff.
These will include educational psychologists, personal assistants, guidance counsellors, special educational needs and disability teachers, and teaching assistants.
The ministry also plans to employ a speech and language therapist and a special educational needs coordinator, Buffonge said.
Multi-faceted
The education minister said supporting children with special needs requires a multi-faceted approach, combining education, empathy, advocacy, and tailored strategies.
“By creating a nurturing environment and focusing on individual strengths, the ministry feels that we can assist children with special educational needs to both thrive academically and socially,” she said.
Buffonge explained that the programme will include diagnostic assessments, the designing of intervention plans, and procurement of necessary resources.
It will also include the upgrade of designated spaces to accommodate special educational needs and disability students, and the training and development of teachers.
Funding
The education minister said the entire programme depends on approval from the Ministry of Finance, by human resources and by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
“Without adequate funding, we will not be able to bridge the obvious gap, the disparity between what is acceptable for special educational needs programmes in the UK and what is acceptable on Monsterrat,” she said.
Without the needed finances the disparity will continue to grow and will affect student outcomes locally, ultimately having a “very negative impact” on sustainable development for the island, she added.
She said that there are billions of pounds being put into special education needs in the UK, and “Montserrat seriously needs to catch up”.
