THE parents of 12-year-old Ramona-Shae Thorpe, who was denied access to public education due to her brittle bone disorder, are today breathing a sigh of relief as the Government says it will cover their child’s tuition and facilitate her transition to high school after the Jamaica Observer highlighted their plight

Ramona-Shae’s mother Sasha-Gaye Wood expressed gratitude as help came days after she shared in last week’s
Sunday Observer that her daughter was denied access to multiple public schools in St James and was unsuccessful in getting enrolled in the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), resulting in them struggling financially to put her through private school.

“I just want to express gratitude for giving us the opportunity to tell our story,” she told the Sunday Observer, adding that the level of support she has received since the story’s publication has been overwhelming.

Her daughter was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta — a condition that causes her bones to break easily and requires her to use a wheelchair or walker to move around — at three months old.

Since the publication of the story, the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information, through its Special Education Unit (SEU), has committed to covering the outstanding balance of $140,000 for Thorpe’s tuition at the private school at which she is now a grade six student. The Government unit said this is standard practice once a student is placed in private schools by the ministry.

A transfer to another school at this time might disrupt Ramona-Shae’s learning experience, it added.

“The mother has indicated that the child does not require a one-on-one aide [shadow] at this time. However, we are preparing to provide such support, if needed, when the child transitions to high school at the end of grade six. Special accommodations will also be provided for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) sitting and placement needs of the student,” the ministry told the
Sunday Observer, adding that the SEU remains committed to the ongoing development, expansion, and transformation of special education programmes and services.

Wood is also in dialogue with representatives from PATH, and she shared that she’s in the process of making a new application.

“It’s like a breath of fresh air,” a grateful Wood said.

The Observer met Ramona-Shae in downtown Kingston last month while she was on a school trip to Gordon House. At the time, she appealed to Prime Minister Andrew Holness to build more ramps to improve accessibility to the Parliament building after she had challenges using the stairs to get inside.

The 12-year-old has also expressed gratitude for the support her parents will be receiving, adding that she’s now more at ease

“I feel good that I won’t have to worry about anyone helping me to go around and stuff. I won’t have to ask anyone for extra help,” she said about her transition to high school.

“I’m glad that they are aware that some persons are not that fortunate to have certain stuff and are helping us,” she added, expressing hope that other children facing similar challenges will also get the help they need.

Her mother made a similar appeal, who said there are many families in similar situations who are struggling and need help.

“I just wish that the attention that Ramona-Shae is getting now other children can benefit from it without even having to go through the process that we have been through. Going through the comment section [on the Observer’s Instagram post about the story], I see where persons with disabilities comment that their parents went through similar things with them. I see where these persons have excelled, they have finished college, and so I would want for other children with the ability to learn not to be stigmatised,” said Wood.

“I just wish that children with a disability would not be stigmatised and they can get the fair chance of a fair education, so they can excel in whatever career choices they want,” she said.

Wood also appealed to people in government agencies who interact regularly with the public to be more forthcoming with information when engaging parents seeking assistance for their children.

“I wish they could explain to us, as parents, our other options instead of just giving us a blank ‘No’. Outline options and explain to us, because not all of us are educated enough to understand,” she said.

The Ministry of Education said the SEU was designed to create access, equity, and quality educational provisions for students with special needs. The ministry currently covers the cost of education for 720 students with special needs in private schools through an established MOU with 18 private special educational facilities. This augments the access to 88 public institutions or grant-in-aid institutions across the country.

Additionally, 106 institutions offer special education services across the seven regions if the country’s education system at the infant, primary, and secondary levels inclusive of public and private facilities, some of which offer services to students up to 21 years old, the ministry said.

It also noted that schools have been sensitised to understand how to best accommodate students with special needs and that more than 22 schools in Region Four, which includes the parishes of Hanover, St James, and Westmorland, have ramps that enable access.

Avenues for placement assistance and intervention support are also available for students with special needs through the Ministry of Education’s regional offices and the SEU, it added.

For the 2024-2025 school year, the SEU is said to have placed 195 students in private schools with tuition support, and many others were facilitated through the regional special needs coordinators with placement in public schools.

Twelve-year-old Ramona-Shae Thorpe (right) and her mother Sasha-Gaye Wood pause for a photo at the top of the stairs at Gordon House in downtown Kingston, during a school trip to the parliamentary building. (Photo: Llewellyn Wynter)