OAS Sponsors Curriculum Training Workshop

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS - As part of its continuing technical cooperation program to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Organization of American States (OAS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education is sponsoring a Curriculum Training Workshop for special education teachers. The three (3) day event from 3-5 September, 2008, will be conducted at the Special Education Unit, on Boone Avenue, Basseterre.

The workshop is one of a number of activities that is being implemented under the Technical Cooperation Project entitled ‘The development of a special education curriculum’, that is coordinated by Clarice Cotton, Sr. Education Officer.

The project’s main purpose is to develop a curriculum that is specifically designed to meeting the educational needs and requirements of special needs children in St. Kitts and Nevis and to provide the requisite training to Special Ed. teachers as well. In this connection, the first year of the project’s execution was spent writing a draft curriculum – a process that involved expert supervision and significant input from Special Ed teachers in St. Kitts and Nevis. ~~Adz:Right~~

Starret Greene, the OAS Representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, explained that as part of this important exercise, efforts have been made to ensure that all education stakeholders are given the opportunity to make a contribution to the draft curriculum so that it emerges as the premier document that will outline the various programs, strategies, methodologies, approaches and lessons for teaching children with special educational needs.

He said that it was the expectation of the OAS that the document would, in time, become the single most important instrument that would provide the necessary guidance and reference for the teaching of special needs children in the Federation.

Greene called on all  education stakeholders in the Federation to provide comments and suggestions that would help make the draft document more complete, user friendly, practical, up-to-date, relevant and more in line with the new trends and developments in special needs education, in our region and in the world at large.

The OAS, through its special multilateral fund (FEMCIDI), provided approximately US$50,000 over a two year period, to implement this technical cooperation project.