"The Special Education Unit is committed to developing and implementing programmes, providing services and equal educational opportunities that would address the unique learning needs of all students" therefore giving every child a chance to mazimize their potential. The Special Education Unit is mandated to develop and implement programmes for all children, particularly those with special needs. The following programmes were implemented to meet the challenges of educating children with special needs:
Resource Room
The prime purpose of this programme is to enable students with special needs to receive assistance from the special education teacher in Language, Reading, Mathematics and Writing without being removed from the main stream of the educational system.
Special Classes or self-contained classes are used most often for students with moderate to severe learning disabilities. The special education teacher provides most or all instruction. Students are in most cases separated from the regular classroom.
Itinerant Services - is provided by special educators in two or more schools.
Special Schools:
Special Schools -provide instruction for students with severe disabilities. The following are special schools.
The Centre for The Deaf - located on Gregory Street in Nassau, was established in September 1964 by the Ministry of Education and the Bahamas Red Cross Society. The educational programme of the Centre is organized so that it allows for the integration of Hearing Impaired students into regular schools.
The School for The Blind -located on Mackey Street in Nassau is sponsored by the Ministry of Education and the Salvation Army.
Stapledon School for the Mentally Challenged- located on Dolphin Drive, Nassau was founded in October 1962 by a group of concerned parents. The Ministry of Education as well as the Bahamas Association for the Physically Disabled (BAPD), has now assumed full responsibility for the school's educational programmes.
The Beacon School for the Mentally Challenged- located in Freeport, Grand Bahama was formerly the School for Exceptional Children.
Alternative Programmes:
Alternative Programmes accommodate students who are unable to function in a regular classroom because of illness or inappropriate behaviour.
(TAPS) Transitional Alternative Program for Students
TAPS program for alternative school boys and girls who meet the criteria for oppositional defiant disorder CODD and are disruptive, rebellious and negative in the school enviornment.
SURE Programme
(Success Ultimately Reassures Everyone) was established in 1992 in Nassau and in 1993 in Freeport, Grand Bahama to offer education to students who display disruptive behaviour.
Penn / Pratt Educational Unit
An alternative programme for boys and girls who are remanded by the Government Juvenile Court System (Simpson Penn/Willamae Pratt Centres for Boys and Girls).
The Hospital School
Located in the Princess Margaret Hospital, this school was established jointly by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health in 1979.
PACE (Providing Access to Continuing Education)
located in Nassau and The Haven in Freeport are alternative programmes designed to assist pregnant students. The Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Ministries of Social Development and Health have implemented these programmes.
