Minister Jacobs gives presentation on Special Needs Education at weekly Rotary International Luncheo

Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports Hon. Silveria Jacobs, gave a presentation on Special Needs Education at the weekly Rotary International Luncheon on October 24th.

 

The Minister was invited by Rotary International to give a presentation on Special Needs Education due to their interest in getting further acquainted with the topic.

During the presentation Minister Jacobs touched on principles and beliefs, the currents status, current developments and future plans regarding Special Needs Education.

A work group consisting of key stakeholders within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports under the chairmanship of Head of Division Educational Innovations is currently working on the project which includes a study aimed at addressing the challenges St. Maarten faces in providing education for students with special needs, and what is needed to close the gap.

An increasing thought in education has been that students with special needs encounter barriers that tend to hamper them in their learning and/or development.

Children with special needs are those that have characteristics that affect their ability to learn. These characteristics can range from behavior or a learning disability such as dyslexia.

To help these children reach their full potential, innovations in education must be made to assist them on this path. Minister Jacobs concluded her presentation with the statement "Every child can learn and as such has the right to an Education that suits his or her ability and talent!"