SECTION IV: SPECIAL EDUCATION IN ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
There are three (3) Special Needs schools, one in Kingstown, one in Georgetown and the other in Bequia. For the academic year 2021-2022, the School for Children with Special Needs Kingstown has the largest enrolment of students, thirty-(30) males and twenty-four (24) females, a total of fifty-four (54). Georgetown Special Needs school has an enrolment of fourteen (14) males and six (6) females and Sunshine School for Children (Bequia) has eighteen (18) males and seven (7) females.
In the 2021-2022 academic year, the overall enrolment in the special needs schools stood at sixty-two (62) males and thirty-seven (37) females (total 99). The overall enrolment decreased by nineteen (19) students when compared with the previous year which had a total enrolment of one hundred and eighteen (118). Males continue to outnumber females at each of these institutions.
Special education continues to receive the impetus and support from the government in order meet the needs of these learners. The policy of the government is to ensure that all students including those with special educational needs receive effective learning opportunities. The long term goal is to move towards implementation of inclusive education through increased integration of students with special education needs into primary and secondary schools. To this end, a pilot inclusive project under the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Human Development Service Delivery Project will commence on the island of Bequia for the academic year 2023-2024. Students from the Sunshine School for Children will be integrated into regular the schools in Bequia.
The government under the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Human Development Service Delivery Project provided resources to support professional development training for special needs teachers and equipment for schools. The project will continue to provide support to teachers to improve their pedagogical skills which should enhance the teaching and learning processes. The evaluation of the pilot inclusive education project in Bequia will determine when the inclusive education project will roll out on the mainland on St. Vincent.