Dear Editor,

As a Jamaican educator with over a decade of experience navigating the realities of the classroom, I read the recent
Jamaica Observer article titled ‘Bare Minimum – Trainee Teachers Want More Prep to Deal with Special Needs Students’, published on April 20, with a mixture of empathy, concern, and critical reflection.

While I commend the student teachers for raising their voices and highlighting the importance of inclusive education, I must also caution against broad generalisations and the inadvertent undermining of the significant progress made in teacher education across the island.

First, we must acknowledge the intent and structure of our current teacher training programmes. The majority of our colleges and universities incorporate special education (SPED) courses across their curricula, not only for specialists but also for generalist teacher candidates. While these courses may be introductory in scope, they are not designed to produce SPED experts in four-year general education programmes. They are intended to foster awareness, develop foundational knowledge, and create pathways for continuous professional development. For those who desire deeper preparation, specialised degrees and postgraduate certifications in special education are available through our local institutions.

Secondly, the call for more training must be situated in the broader ecosystem of Jamaica’s educational challenges. Teachers in training must not only understand special needs education, they must also grapple with outdated infrastructure, overloaded curricula, minimal classroom support, and inadequate resources. The idea that deeper SPED preparation alone would solve the challenges of inclusive education oversimplifies the issue. Inclusion is not merely the teacher’s responsibility, it is a systemic commitment that requires support from school leadership, ministry policies, well-staffed schools, diagnostic services, parental cooperation, and specialist intervention.

Furthermore, several of the anecdotes shared by the trainee teachers in the article, while sincere, reflect a deeper issue: a gap between theory and practice. That gap is not unique to SPED, it spans lesson planning, classroom management, literacy instruction, and more. What is needed is not just a curriculum overhaul but stronger mentorship systems, robust practicum placements, and ongoing in-service training after graduation. The answer is not more content in isolation, it is more support during transition into the profession.

The commentary suggesting that some children with special needs “should not be in regular schools” is particularly troubling. It echoes a long-standing exclusionary mindset that we must actively work to unlearn. True inclusion does not mean placing every child in every classroom, it means creating a flexible, responsive system that adjusts to the needs of all learners. Some students will thrive in inclusive settings with the right accommodations. Others may require specialised interventions. But the decision must be made with respect for the rights and dignity of the child, not solely based on the teacher’s comfort or perceived capacity.

Finally, we must be wary of positioning teacher colleges as the sole actors responsible for inclusion. Inclusion is a national policy direction, enshrined in the Ministry of Education’s frameworks and supported by UNESCO’s global advocacy. As such, the full weight of Government, teacher education institutions, school boards, families, and community organisations must share the responsibility. If we are truly concerned about special education, let us also question the gaps in diagnostic services, early childhood interventions, classroom assistants, and resource allocation. Let us talk about class sizes, curriculum overload, and teacher burnout.

I urge the public — and especially the media — to approach these conversations with a broader, more balanced lens. Teacher education in Jamaica is far from perfect, but it is far from negligent. The young educators quoted in the article are passionate and observant. What they need now is not just “more special education” courses but a comprehensive, national strategy for inclusion that supports both teachers and students in meaningful ways.

Let us build that together.

Leroy Fearon Jr

Educator

leroyfearon85@gmail.com