Stakeholders working to support persons with disabilities more

The Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) is currently exploring ways to improve the national approach to the early identification and diagnosis of disabilities in children at schools.

Programme Manager of the GCOPD, Ganesh Singh during an interview with the News Room on Monday said this is part of efforts to strengthen education opportunities and promote inclusivity.

Education Minister Sonia Parag and Singh recently met one of the key areas they discussed is the special needs programme.

“Right now, we don’t have a uniformed approach to assessment and diagnosis in Guyana.

“The Minister and her team are very interested in sorting this out so that children with disabilities entering the education system can have a proper diagnosis and an individualised education plan to guide their learning,” Singh said.

Children living with disabilities attend schools and receive support from the Special Education Needs (SEN) Unit of the Ministry of Education. Teachers are able to train to respond to the needs of these students and with scholarships from the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), Singh said more teachers are becoming certified.

Singh also outlined progress under several programmes, including the virtual Remedial Education Programme, supported by the Ministry of Education. The initiative targets persons with disabilities aged 17 and older who are out of school, offering lessons in English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.

“After a year of continuous assessments, many students go on to sit the CSEC exams.

“Those who don’t yet meet the criteria continue in the remedial programme so they can keep learning,” he said.

He added that through the STEM Robotics Programme, funded by ExxonMobil, more than 200 children with disabilities in 17 special education spaces are learning robotics, technology, and life skills.

Singh said these initiatives are part of wider progress in inclusive education.

“We are seeing significant progress. While there are still gaps, we’re working closely with the Ministry of Education to ensure every child with a disability has the opportunity to learn and thrive,” Singh said.