Dear Editor,

In his presentation during the recent Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) conference, Prime Minister Andrew Holness spoke, inter alia, on the need for transformation of the Jamaican education system, starting from the early childhood level. His intention is quite noble and commendable.

Deploying special education teachers in schools, especially basic schools, is important. It is my suggestion, however, that the Government should provide the facilities and tools that will enable the requisite professionals to identify and ‘treat’ children who have learning challenges such as dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory processing disorder, language processing disorder, dyslexia, etc.

It is an indisputable fact that early intervention, in this respect, involving special education experts and educational psychologists can help solve the learning challenges that present themselves in our primary and post-primary schools today.

It is also my recommendation that workshops be organised by the Ministry of Education for parents. In such fora, parents can be sensitised about the red flags which signal that children are experiencing difficulties in the classroom. Such knowledge will enable them to seek early intervention for their children should the latter have disabilities that affect their learning.

Our education system has faced a plethora of problems for some time. The novel coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated this situation in terms of learning loss; therefore, in the interest of our nation’s future, stakeholders in education have to arise now and make the much-needed interventions.

Ugochukwu Wilson Durueke

Teacher

udurueke@yahoo.com