Janice O’Neill a volunteer from Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO) has spent a year in Guyana coaching teachers in Primary and Special Schools. Janice has become a friend to the Special education Unit. We will fondly remember her pleasant and gregarious personality. Professionally she has contributed to building the professional acumen and confidence of trained teachers who were practicing principles of good teaching but were unsure they were on the correct path. On behalf of the students, teachers and Special Education Unit I say heartfelt thank you to Janice and wish her great achievements in her forward journey.

In the quarter Jan-March 2012 the SEN Unit

1. Welcomed a New PCRV Susan Steinberg who will be working at St Barbarnas
2. Assessed 14 children referred from mainstream school for evaluation for a disability
3. Prepared national assessment forms for mainstream primary schools
4. Carried out 15 Coaching sessions in Special Schools
5. Completed the module on Autism
6. Monitoring visited SEN schools
7. 2 Headteachers training on curriculum adaptation and teaching reading to students with learning disabilities
8.  SEN schools participated in Mash celebrations Congrats to NA Special School and Sophia Special School who won prizes

Generic materials put to educational use

The SEN Unit hosted a series of workshops in 2011. In April 2011 the unit hosted the teaching materials workshop where the participants were parents and teachers. They hailed from Regions 3, 4,6,10 and Georgetown.

The participants made teaching aids from generic materials such as rice, flour, boxes, newspapers etcetera.

Items made were:

• White board slates
• Beans/rice bag
• The hidden answer plaque
• Sewing cards
• Matching/rhythm dominoes
• Paper Mache
• Play dough

Thank you and Farewell to our PC Volunteers

In 2011 the Special Education Unit in collaboration with Peace Corps Guyana recruited two short term response volunteers. Allen Neece March - November 2011 and Jocelyn Freidman March -September 2011. Jocelyn was attached to the Sophia Special School carrying out school based intervention in behavioural management. Allen was attached to the David Rose Special School carrying out school based intervention in deaf education.

The Unit would like to thank both volunteers for the work they have done in order to boost the local special education program. We thank you and wish you well.

April 28th and 29th Workshop

On April 28th and 29th, the SEN unit hosted a "How to make teaching aids by using grass roots materials" workshop. Twenty Five people participated in the workshop with representatives from Regions 4,6,10 and Georgetown.

The workstations included information on:

Learning games, Learning dominoes, Paper Mache, Skills dice, Hidden pair charts, Rice bags, Picture timetables, Puzzles, Play dough and Tactile letters

Additional Presentations were given on HIV/AIDs and Autism and Pictures Communication System.

The outcomes of the workshop included:

1.       Teachers and parents received materials to prepare at least one activity to assist a child with a disability.

2.       Participants formed a parent/teachers networking group

Happy 43rd Anniversary!

The SEN Sector is happy to announce that on May 8th, 2011, The David Rose School for the Handicap celebrated their 43rd Anniversary in support of the special needs community in Guyana.  

Objective and Current Schools

Working Objectives for National SEN 

(Special Education Needs) Program

1.               Visit all special schools to ascertain their training needs.

2.               Carry out in-service training for special school teachers.

3.               Create a database of children and staff in special schools.

4.               Carry out in-service training for teachers in inclusive        

            literacy teaching methodology in mainstream schools.

5.               Source support resources for SEN training.

6.               Promote the values of library use for learning within the 

           special schools.

7.               Ensure that partnerships exist with internal stakeholders 

           that support the transition to inclusive education.

8.               Liaise with Ministry of Health regarding screening for 

           vision and hearing.

9.               Investigate methods of screening and assessment for   

           children with disabilities in mainstream schools.

10.          Strengthen inter-agency partnership with external 

           funders and disability organisations.

11.          Recruit a professional to develop a distance learning    

           training course in SEN.

12.         Develop a distance learning training course in inclusive         

          education for teachers in special schools.

13.          Develop an inclusion policy.

14.          Develop a career path for SEN teachers.

Current Special Schools in Guyana

Schools	Regions
1.   St Barnabas Special School	Georgetown
2.   Sophia Special School	Georgetown
3.   David Rose School for the Handicapped	Georgetown
4.   Special School at Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre	Georgetown
5.   St Rose’s Unit for the Blind	Georgetown
6.   Diamond Special School	Region 4
7.   New Amsterdam Special School	Region 6
8. Linden Centre for the Disabled	Region 10
9. Wismar Hill Primary Vision         Resource Unit	Region 10