Week in Review - Part 2 - Training

These past two weeks have been dominated by training, which includes information on culture, safety and security, community organizing, teaching strategies (a bit redundant for the 4 of us teachers), and special education in Grenada.

Special Education


The most useful training sessions, in my opinion, have been the ones that outline the history and current state of Special Education in Grenada. The school system has a primary level (equivalent to elementary in the US), a secondary level (middle and high school), and an optional tertiary level (technical training or college). The primary level has always been open and mandatory for children since its inception. However, between the ages of 11 and 14, students have to pass a "Common Entrance Exam" to be admitted into secondary school (similar to the British system). Up until recently, students who did not qualify for secondary education ended their formal schooling at that point. Currently, the Ministry of Education instituted universal education on the secondary level.

Many teachers and schools are overwhelmed with the wide variety of levels the incoming classes display. Many claim that they have not been given any additional resources or training to address the needs of these new students (I think I've heard this before...in my old country). One teacher showed me a picture book that was probably on a 3rd grade level and told me that the English teacher was using it for the Form 1 students (Grade 7ish). Despite being 4+ grade levels below where they should be, the students were struggling with that text.


The first official class for special needs students happened in Grenville on the east side of the island in 1969. Most of the subsequent special classes and schools that opened were for those with sensory or severe disabilities (School of the Deaf opened in 1972 and School for Special Education for the Mentally Retarded in 1976). However, formal inclusion of the Special Education Needs program did not occur until 2007, in part as a result of a 2001 Peace Corps forum on Special Education in Grenada.

Luckily enough, I was at my assigned secondary school the same day that the Minister of Education was having a dialogue with teachers and parents about their concerns. Parents and teachers were both concerned about the lack of resources, disruptive students, and lack of teacher training. I certainly have a lot of planning, thinking, and prioritizing to facilitate.

A video about my day at the Victoria School for Special Education, my host mom's school