Professional training for Special Education teachers
By VonDez Phipps
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
 |
| (R-L) - Director of OAS (St. Kitts) Starret Greene, Minister of Education Hon. Sam Condor and Special Education Consultant Violet Clarke |
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – “WITH the help of OAS we have covered the whole spectrum of Special Education.”
This statement, among others, was expressed by Senior Education Officer Clarice Cotton as she addressed a group of education officials, consultants and teachers involved in remedial and special education at a Special Education Curriculum training session, which commenced today.
The OAS-sponsored, three-day workshop is being held at the Special Education Unit, Basseterre and is the second phase of an ongoing attempt to provide a comprehensive Special Education Curriculum for the units.
Facilitator and Special Education Consultant Violet Clarke firstly expressed pleasure in having the privilege in conducting the training session, and considered it an equally “fantastic opportunity” to be have the draft copy of the Curriculum.
She stated that phase one of the project discussed a functional curriculum, but the second phase focuses on the severe learning difficulties.
“Students who fall into this category have a wide array of needs to which teachers must become familiar and need to address in order
 |
|
A section of the participants
|
to assist each child in their own learning potential. To understand how those skills are acquired and trying to overcome the challenges that children are faced with is indeed an arduous task.
“However, throughout this week, through this training we hope to demonstrate that drawing of the skills of special education professionals can assist us in this project.”
Clarke concentrated on the ability of the curriculum to provide quality education which would equip students for life. She also pointed to the provision of practical teaching skills to teachers in order for them to be able to recognise the diversity of needs within the framework of Special Education.
Director of OAS (St. Kitts) Starret Greene gave remarks on his general expectations of the use of the curriculum to improve the education offered at the units, and he expressed satisfaction on behalf of OAS for its involvement.
He called upon the parents and teachers to recognise their involvement in the introduction of the curriculum in order to increase their capacity to provide for the students’ special needs. ~~Adz:Right~~
“It is a commendable outcome, particularly that it fulfils one of the major objectives of the organisation’s technical corporation that is to strengthen and develop the human resource capability in all our member countries. I’m confident that the training received would not only enhance your professional development, but also would increase the tone of training at Special Education Units in St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Now with all this human effort together with the material and financial resources, I wish to respectfully emphasise that the curriculum, when finalised, should be extensively used...so that this document should never be placed on a shelf to gather dust. In fact, it is the expectation of the OAS that the document should, in time, emerge as the single most important instrument that provides the necessary guidance and reference for the teaching of Special Education students.”
He projected that the curriculum may allow private schools and other educational institutions to give input in order to shape it into one that is to be “second to none”. He claims that if everyone does their part, the document may be used to guide other OAS member states into providing similar curriculum to their respective Special Education Units.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Hon. Sam Condor, officially declared the training workshop open after making a brief address.
He said the real test to judge the maturity of a nation is in the way that “it treats its marginal young and old” and reassured those present that the Special Education project is an indication of the country’s maturity.
He urged teachers and assistants to take full advantage of the training offered during the week in order to upgrade their skills and to be fully equipped to deal with students with special needs.
