$1,000 for each child

Education Minister Hazel Manning told the Senate yesterday of Government’s plan to assist special needs students in all primary schools, both public and private. The allocation of $1,000 for each special needs child will be used by the school to buy specific materials the children may require, like “books in braille and materials to increase their competence in reading,” the Minister said. Manning explained that the $8.7 million “innovative programme” would benefit students “with special educational needs” at all levels-  pre-school, primary and secondary levels. At the secondary level, she said, an estimated 1,631 students will receive support in the sum of $1,000 per student for materials required for their course of study, such as tool kits for computer repairs, wood-work and welding kits at technical/vocational schools.  At the pre-school level, the Government will provide resources for students with special educational needs.

Government will provide resources to 167 Government Assisted Early Care and Childhood Education Centres beginning with 38 centres in Phase 1, she said. Unveiling the new initiatives in a statement to the Senate, the Minister revealed that it formed part of Government’s  “substantial investment” of  $80.27 million in programmes for the 2004-2005 year. On the school textbook programme in primary schools, Manning said that altogether over 400,000 textbooks will be procured and distributed to schools in time for the 2004/2005 academic year at a cost of $22.2 million. She said an evaluation of the textbook programme revealed that generally students took care of the books and therefore they (the books) would be passed on to students entering school in September 2004. The only exception would be the reading books and math textbooks, she said. Manning said Reading and Math text for Infants Year 1 and 2 would be replaced.

She added that a new stock of dictionaries for Standard 2 and a new stock of Atlases for Standard 3 will be provided. She said 15 percent of all “other titles” will be replaced. Science textbooks will be provided for Standards 1 and 2 only. On the textbook rental/loan programme in secondary schools, Manning said the programme will be expanded beyond Forms 1 and 2 to include Form 3  (which had previously benefited from a book grant). Form 3 students will be given textbooks for math, language, arts and Spanish, she said. Thousands of textbooks would be distributed under this programme at a cost of $17.93 million. The textbook rental/loan programme will also extend to students at special secondary level institutions such as Servol Junior Life Centres and Servol Adolescent Centres, St Bede’s Vocational Centre. In the long term, a more comprehensive programme will be implemented, she said.

“Therefore, Cabinet has agreed to the provision of resources for the academic year 2004-2005 to benefit particularly those students with low reading levels, those students who are differently abled, and many who come from disadvantaged circumstances and whose need for support is urgent,” Manning stated. Manning also told the Senate that 16 new secondary schools will be constructed, while 47 secondary schools were to be upgraded to provide space and facilities for the delivery of the new curriculum and for deshifting. She said 15 primary schools will be built, while approximately 150 primary schools will be repaired during the vacation.