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to the physical environment. In keeping with Jamaica’s thrust institutions, the training and certification of teachers (across
to ensure persons with disabilities are afforded all opportunities five MOE regions) in General Introduction to Special Education
(as mandated by the Disabilities Act requirements), increased and training of School Based Special Education Needs
works have been done within schools towards improving Coordinators (SENCOs). It is anticipated that these School
access for the disabled. This includes provision of access Based SENCOs will aid Regional SENCOs in coordinating the
ramps to classroom blocks, and sanitation facilities with educational needs of special children across the island.
stalls equipped with lower toilets and face basins, grab bars
and wider spacing to accommodate access by persons with In response to the pervasiveness of sexual exploitation of
physical disabilities. children in Jamaica, JSIF in conjunction with the MOE and
other key stakeholders, developed the Youth at Risk, Violence
JSIF always works to support the national objectives of the Prevention Against Children Project. The intervention seeks to
MOE and, in keeping with the goal of removing all schools from empower children to identify, respond and report child sexual
the shift system, expanded and equipped a number of primary abuse. This approach utilised an edutainment methodology,
schools enabling them to come off the system. In line with given the sensitive nature of the issues being addressed, and
the Ministry’s intention to ensure that all schools have modern involved the production of a storybook, a CD with narration
sanitary facilities, the Fund has replaced pit latrines with flush and music, in addition to a still video of the story. Additionally,
toilets in rural schools across the island, thus allowing the to ensure the inclusion of children with disabilities, a braille
institutions to meet the requirements of the Early Childhood version for the visually impaired and a sign language version
Commission (ECC) and Ministry of Education (MoE) operational for the hearing impaired were also developed. This storybook
standards. has been approved to be used to support the MOE’s Health and
Family Life Curriculum in primary schools islandwide.
Catapuda Primary & Junior High in St. James received a modern bathroom block Recognizing the importance of play and the need for interactive
to replace pit latrines. learning,JSIF, with the input of the MOE, developed the
Programme for Educational Advancement and Psychosocial
JSIF has undertaken more than six hundred (>600) school Support project. The aim was to increase children’s awareness
related projects, benefitting over one hundred and eighty and involvement in environmental preservation through
thousand (>180,000) persons and costing more than $4Billion interacting with the animals and connecting what was seen
dollars. These interventions have resulted in safer, more on a zoo visit with activities and topics in the social studies
appropriate learning environments for the users. and science curriculum. Before the visit the teachers and
caregivers gave the children specialized lessons related to what
JSIF Provides More than Infrastructure and Equipment they would observe during the outing and this was augmented
JSIF has moved beyond primarily infrastructure and equipping by follow-up exercises at the zoo including viewing the animals
interventions to support the MOE by providing resources which with information sessions at each enclosure and interaction
enabled the Ministry to undertake capacity building activities with animals at the petting zoo. In conjunction with the MoE,
such as the Special Education Needs Coordinators Training. underperforming primary schools and those in underserved
This initiative aimed to enhance the capacity of teachers communities, in addition to Special Education Institutions
to support children with special needs within the education and Children’s Homes, were invited to visit in the Hope Zoo
system. Included under the project was: the provision of for educational and therapy purposes. Some of the children
diagnostic kits to diagnose children suspected of having who participated had multiple disabilities and intellectual
special education needs, the training of teachers in “Teaching disabilities.
Children with Exceptionalities in Mainstream,” which would
allow them to identify and assist pupils with special education In addition to helping the MOE strengthen its capacity to identify
needs, provision of teaching and learning aids special education and support special needs groups, JSIF designs projects that
will engage children and youth who are at an educational
disadvantage (performing below the MOE’s numeracy and
literacy minimum standards). The Youth Education and
Recreation (YER) programme is one such endeavour. It aims
to enhance the learning opportunities available to children and
youth, and foster the development of their social and mediation
skills. Assistance has been provided to support the MOE’s
policy to develop and mainstream STEM (science, technology,
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