Clarendon schools forge partnerships to shore up support
Published:Friday | August 26, 2022 | 12:10 AM
Regional staff of the Ministry of Education have committed to bolster support for Clarendon’s teachers and administrators with a suite of services geared at training and other assistance.
Chief among those is the reinforcement of specialised support for primary-school students.
The establishment of special education units/pull-put programmes across quality education circles has been viewed as key to the leveraging of those benefits.
“The forged partnerships with the tertiary institutions will provide special education support services for teachers and students across schools in the region,” said Richardson, who extended gratitude for partnerships with Northern Caribbean University and Church Teachers’ College.
That cooperation, he said, was important in ensuring that no child is left behind academically.
The strategies were shared at a Region Seven annual back-to-school conference staged on August 18 as educators gear up for the new academic year set to start on September 5.
A total of 30 schools will receive infrastructural support ranging from electrical repairs, termite treatment, roof repairs, classroom partitions, among other critical works.
Richardson said that administrators had been provided with additional staff to support multigrade schools, infant departments, and other specialised help at high schols.
“Now we are putting the money and the human resource where we think that matters most. And so, a total of 61 priority schools will be supported to ensure that we all move together as we all reignite together for greater purpose,” he said.
Regional leaders will also seek to maintain a monthly ‘Prayer Hour’ initiative that was reported to have reaped benefits in cushioning psychological pain endured by staff, students, and parents.
He said the activity spoke “life in places that seem dark”.
“Principals and teachers communicated that the Prayer Hour provided hope and inspiration, especially at the height of the pandemic,” Richardson said in a post-conference Gleaner interview.
“We also had the opportunity to identify particular personal challenges that needed individual support.”
A bimonthly virtual life skills session, led by Wendy Mullings, health and family life education officer, will also continue.
Richardson said that that programme is designed to offer a practical demonstration and understanding of how life skills can be used in everyday interactions, especially in the management of disruptive behaviour.