The Ministry of Education has partnered with Amanah Academy to facilitate training to teachers; particularly those completing the associate degree in disability studies. The training encompasses the theoretical aspect complemented with a coaching component. The programme aims at improving the quality of life for learners with special education needs/disabilities (SEND).
A statement from the ministry said this week teachers will be engaged in understanding the scope of a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) and the role of the Behaviour Intervention Plan (BIP) and making the connection to the concept of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) as they execute the behaviour intervention plan. ABA is a theoretical framework used to address challenging behaviours.
According to the ministry said training dovetails with the focus areas (autism and intellectual abilities) in their just completed course work as it gives them an even clearer understanding of how best to support learners with behavioural issues within the classroom.
The premise of the training is that if there is reduction in challenging behaviours then academic achievement will increase.
A United Nations report said there are approximately 240 million children worldwide living with disabilities. 80% of these children are said to be living in the developing world, according to the World Health Organisation.
The United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) states “that disability is a fundamental human rights issue and that meeting the development goals of persons with disabilities is necessary to meeting overall global development goals.” One area to assure this is through the pursuit of education by providing the enabling environment for learning based on abilities.
