Special needs school to cut staff, students after less $ from MoE

In the Ministry of Education’s view, the New Beginnings Educational Centre in Petit Valley has nine students and will get the relevant funding for them.

“Funding is per student, and they have less students this year. Therefore, they will get less funding,” Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said.

However, principal of the institution, Phyllis Griffith, says the special needs school has 14 students and five of them were not registered with the ministry.

“Since COVID our numbers have been dwindling and dropping. This term, in the ministry’s eyes, we have nine students and it’s because these nine students either have a medical or Psycho Ed (psychoeducation assessment) which will allow them to assess the grant. But in truth and in fact, we have 14 children … they are unable to get it because one, a psycho Ed is very expensive,” she explained.

Griffith said the recent adjustment gives them enough money to hire and pay only one teacher, one aide, herself and a cleaner.

The lack of funding means Griffith will have to let go of three staff members, which will lead to inadequate staff to properly supervise and teach the school’s 14 students.

“It cannot work because of the diverse challenges the children have, so where we at, I had to let the parents know something,” she said.

Simone Williams, parent of an 11-year-old student, said she has seen a significant improvement in her son’s abilities since she enrolled him at the educational centre one year ago. She admitted they recognised he needed additional assistance from first year in his previous school but the principal denied it.

“He was just going through the system … So far, he has improved in a lot of things he was not doing in the mainstream system,” Williams said.

But she’s worried that his abilities may regress if staff is cut. The mother pleaded with the Education Ministry to reconsider its allocation.

“Remember, these students not going to be sitting down behind a desk and say ‘okay Miss I’ll do this, I’ll do that, Miss’ and they have to take their time to calm those students down, so it is challenging,” she said.

Griffith said adding insult to injury, the savings the school had accumulated from fundraising drives was stolen by bandits who broke into the school earlier this year.

New Beginnings is set to open next week but Griffith has not slept since learning about the hard decision she has to make and what the school year may have in store.

The school can be contacted at 633-0112 or email newbegincentre@gmail.com.

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