BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AS part of their ongoing collaborative effort to strengthen Special Needs Education in St. Kitts and Nevis, the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the Ministry of Education held a parents’ workshop on Saturday (Jan. 31) at the Special Education Unit in St. Johnston’s Village.
The workshop attracted over 30 parents and is one of a number of activities within the OAS-sponsored project “Development of a Special Education Curriculum”.
Discussions focused on matters relating to the special education curriculum, therapy support for children with special needs and other topical issues.
One of the key outcomes of the workshop was a proposal to form a Parent Support Group that would empower parents to become advocates for their children, promote the involvement of the whole family in special education and ensure that families have access to support and resources necessary to care for persons with special needs.
Ministry officials also disclosed that a special education curriculum, written by local consultants and teachers, would be completed and submitted by the end of March.
OAS Representative to St. Kitts and Nevis Starret Greene stressed the importance of parental involvement in the education process, noting it would promote all aspects of school readiness, result in greater reading achievement and improve math and language skills.
He called on the Federation’s education authorities to provide more opportunities for parents to become involved in the process and outlined ways in which they could play a more active role.
“Parents should endeavour to keep a line of communication open with the school their children attend. They can also volunteer in their children’s classrooms or for special activities.
“Additionally, parents should take time to look through their children’s schoolbooks and reinforce the work or activities covered in the classrooms. They should make it their duty to become an integral part of the decision making process relating to their children,” Greene said.
The diplomat thanked parents for their participation in the workshop and expressed his confidence that their deliberations would redound to the benefits of their children.
