KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -St. Lucia’s Minister of Education, Youth Development, Sports and Digital Transformation, Danny Butcher, has paid a visit to the Windsor School of Special Education, hoping to replicate some of the programmes in his country.
“I came here to find out what’s happening. What are some of the best practices that we could learn and maybe bring over to St. Lucia to fit within our context and make it very authentic for our students and for our teachers,” Butcher said.
“The big takeaway for me is how authentic learning is. It’s not that students cannot learn; they learn differently. And for me, it’s making sure that when a student leaves here (school), the student leaves with a particular skill set, especially with the certification that comes with it,” he added.
Butcher, who was among Caribbean education stakeholders attending the inaugural Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) Regional Education Conference and Ministerial Forum, which ended here earlier this week, said he was very happy to visit the school and to interact with the Principal and teachers.
“Just from the tour, you could gather the passion of the Principal, the passion of the teachers, but also the diversity in what’s being offered – from agriculture to technical education to life skills, numeracy, and literacy. That says to me that these children are receiving a very quality education, and that we must be very proud of.”
Butcher said he was also impressed that the school’s special needs students can earn the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ), a Caribbean Community (CARICOM)-approved, competency-based certification that represents essential skills in specific occupational fields. They are also placed in jobs for work experience.
Butcher said special needs have become not only a serious talking point in St. Lucia, but that the Phillip J Pierre government is moving very quickly to ensure that the children in that country also get the good-quality education they deserve.
“Just before I came here, in Parliament, a resolution was passed to borrow US$17.1 million to ensure that we improve the quality of life and learning for our students, which will include the building of a new structure, the expansion of an existing structure [and] teacher training,” he said.
Principal of the Windsor School of Special Education, Kimela Jarrett-Johnstone, said she was excited to showcase her students’ progress.
“It’s important for us to know that we have a programme which others can see and emulate. The discussion was not one-sided. I was able to hear from Minister Butcher some of what is taking place in St. Lucia. So, while he was getting ideas from us, I was also learning what is being offered in the field of special education there,” she said.
“At this institution, we offer primarily functional literacy and numeracy. We offer real-life experiences, ICT training, integration within the community, and guidance on navigating their community. Also, our students are exposed to building their skillsets, so that they can become contributing members of society and also develop a skillset where they can earn for themselves,” she noted.
There are 128 students with special needs enrolled at the school.
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