Samuda to replicate Sav Academy’s success islandwide

WESTERN BUREAU:

Minister with responsibility for education Karl Samuda says the comprehensive education being offered at the Savanna-la-Mar Inclusive Infant Academy in Westmoreland, which caters to children with and without special needs, will be replicated across the island.

The inclusive education model being employed by the Savanna-la-Mar Inclusive Infant Academy mirrors international standards and has been reaping much success operating as a public-private partnership between the Rock House Foundation, the Roman Catholic Church in Jamaica and the Ministry of Education.

Under the model, special-needs students spend time with other students in a learning and development environment.

“Arguably, this is the best training of its kind in the country, and so what is left for us to do is make sure that we replicate this. We have to do an assessment of cost, and so on,” said Samuda, following his tour of the institution in Westmoreland recently.

“We are going to be expanding this facility into all the various levels of learning, and I am praying and hoping that students from this school will eventually go into the pre-primary, and the primary and be better prepared to enter high school,” added Samuda.

The institution is equipped with parallel walkers, specialised wheelchairs and other pieces of equipment. It caters to students who are with or without special needs in the same learning environment and has a ratio of 20 students to three adults, working as a teacher, assistant teacher, and caregivers.

THEIR WORK

“I think that it is a wonderful experience for anyone not knowing about it to come here and see it for themselves. I am very happy to have been here,” said Samuda. “I have met some remarkable trainers and support staff who are trained in managing children with challenges, such as the ones that are here; and what is remarkable about it is that they can see the development in the children through the help that they are providing.”

Samuda said that the attendance is at no cost to the parent and children.