Taboo around children with special needs persists

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Renate Wartes-Venloo, director of the Kennedy School, observes that a societal taboo still exists when it comes to enrolling children with special needs at the institution. This leads to many of these children being kept at home. The director advocates for more support from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture (minOWC) to expand educational opportunities for these children.
According to her, options in Suriname remain limited in this regard. Additionally, the school faces a severe teacher shortage. Since the start of the new school year, four teachers have left for overseas.
So far, the Ministry of Education has not addressed this issue. The director has submitted a request for a solution to the Roman Catholic Education Board (RKBO). Wartes-Venloo has had to combine classes to continue supporting the students.
She also points to the lack of a transition policy at her school. Necessary resources and support are often unavailable. Despite these challenges, the director says that performance standards must still be met.
Wartes-Venloo emphasizes that, with the right support, students with special needs could even pursue a university education. “It is crucial to attract more children and to break the taboo that discourages parents from enrolling their children.”