Special Education Needs to be improved comprehensively – Minister Manickchand

June 14, 2022

The Honourable Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand led a team from the Ministry of Education today to engage teachers who teach at Special Education Needs schools across the country. The consultation was held in the Conference Centre at the Cyril Potter College of Education’s Turkeyen Campus.

The purpose of the consultation was to hear from teachers within this specific 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.

The Honourable Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand delivering remarks today

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.

The teachers today 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 is genuine about moving the sector forward and that this cannot be done without their contribution. She said that special education needs children have more specialized needs than children who do not have special needs and as such a different and much more effective approach has to be taken to make their experience in school more fulfilling and rewarding.

Teachers at Special Education Needs schools in attendance and making their contributions during today’s consultation

She said that she believes that the Ministry is on a strong 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 will commence in September at the Cyril Potter College of Education to train interested persons in becoming Special Education Needs teachers.

Minister Manickchand was joined today by the Chief Education Officer, Dr. Marcel Hutson, Deputy Chief Education Officer (Development), Ms. Volika Jaikishun, Deputy Chief Education Officer (AHED), Mr. Marti DeSouza and Education Specialist, Dr. Olato Sam.