Building a Better Jamaica

Published: Friday | August 27, 2010
Jamaica Gleaner - Nadisha Hunter

A special facility for students displaying behavioural problems in the regular school system is to be opened in January.

Education Minister Andrew Holness made the announcement at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing, on Wednesday.

He said the special school was designed to deal with students whose behaviour cannot be managed by school administrators.

Approximately 250 students who display behavioural problems are in the system each year.

"Those students cannot be accommodated in mainstream education settings, so we have to build special facilities for them," Holness said.

The minister added that while these students may not be in conflict with the law, their behaviour within the school setting was uncontrollable.

These students, Holness said, would be selected using a very robust process of counselling and evaluation.

He disclosed that once they are identified, they would be removed from the regular school setting and would be enrolled in this special school.

The minister said negotiations are underway to acquire a property in St Elizabeth for the building of the special facility.

Accommodate

He said that the school would accommodate at least 50 students at the opening of the facility.

"Some programmes may be as short as a month, while others may be for a year, but the average programme should be for six months," he said.

"They will have exposure to various expertise, particularly in psychology, in behaviour management and they will be able to have their regular curriculum," Holness added.