Dr Susan Anderson, lecturer at the University of the West Indies, is calling on the Ministry of Education to ensure that special education is given priority treatment in the transformation of the education system.
Anderson said there is an absence of relevant education legislation to prevent discrimination against children with disability and, as a result, their rights to an appropriate education continues to be violated.
"Special effort must be made to ensure the equitable distribution of financial and material resources, special-education facilities and services, adequately trained teachers, special support personnel to properly assess and plan for the needs of each child," she said.
Anderson was speaking to attentive Kiwanians at a luncheon at the Wyndham Kingston hotel, New Kingston, yesterday.
Her concerns came a day after Dr Shane Alexis, president of the Jamaica Medical Doctors' Association, raised concerns that a shortage of facilities and personnel to care for children with developmental disorders has left some unable to realise their full potential.
special intervention
Anderson, who specialises in educational psychology and special education, said up to 20 per cent of children in schools will need special-education intervention at some point in their school life.
"If the necessary support systems are not put in place, these students could experience more adverse difficulties thus hampering their development for higher education, employment, independent living and community integration," she said.
"The lack of full access to equity in the provision of adequate and appropriate educational programmes and services in our education system often lead to the marginalisation of children and youths with disabilities at all level of the education system," Anderson added.
Additionally, she said the limited awareness and training on the part of some parents, school personnel, and other service providers continue to impact negatively on the overall growth and development of persons with special needs.
"Inadequate resources serve as a source of frustration for school administrators, teachers, parents and students, thereby negatively influencing performance outcomes," the expert argued.
"Special-education provisions must be delivered in a manner that respects the rights and dignity of individuals with special learning needs."
In January, Education Minister Andrew Holness said one of the goals of the transformation of the education system is to significantly improve the area of special education.
"It is our goal that the current transformation of the education system will lead to significant improvements in the planning and delivery of special-education programmes and services," Holness said.
Special education is the educational provision for children whose levels of functioning deviate from the norm, such that special programmes and services are necessary to facilitate optimum learning.
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