(September 29, 2022) – The Special Education Needs Unit of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) under the Ministry of Education hosted its sixth National Signing Bee Competition today at the Berbice High School in Region Six.
National SEN Officer, Ms. Savvie Hopkinson
National Special Education Needs Officer, Ms. Savvie Hopkinson said that the competition is designed deliberately to make space for students of Special Schools during Education Month. She said, “It would bring the efforts and investments of the Ministry of Education in Special Education to the attention of the nation and simultaneously display the progress of these students.”
She said that the Signing Bee is intended to stimulate the language faculty of students by expanding their vocabulary and augmenting the stock of words they process and can employ in their work and lives. “It is designed to encourage proficiency among students; to foster inter-school relations among students of Special schools, and to generally affirm and promote communication methods of special education needs,” Ms. Hopkinson noted.
Director of NCERD, Ms. Quenita Walrond-Lewis
The Director of NCERD, Ms. Quenita Walrond- Lewis during her remarks said that all children are the inheritors of this nation and the forebearers of what a future that is bright and prosperous can look like. She said that the Ministry of Education and the Government of Guyana are committed to the growth of all children and the development of their God-given gifts.
The teachers who participated in today’s competition
The Regional Executive Officer, Mr. Narindra Persaud on behalf of the regional administration welcomed the SEN officers and participating students to the region and thanked the teachers who worked to make the event possible. He committed his Region’s support to partner with the Region’s SEN Department to provide the resources that are needed to improve the delivery of education within Region Six.
Regional Education Officer, Ms. Bhagmattie LaCruz also expressed thanks to the teachers, not only of the Special Schools but those at the Berbice High School for making arrangements to successfully host the competition.
The competition featured four categories, the seven to 10 age group, the 11 to 13 age group, the 14 to 18 age group and the teachers' category. The participating schools were the Schoonord Learning Centre for Diverse Needs (Region Three), Diamond Special Needs Centre and Beterverwagting SEN Centre (Region Four), Number Eight Primary SEN Class (Region Five), New Amsterdam Special School, Philippi Nursery School (Region Six), Linden Special Needs Centre and SEN Resource Unit (Region 10) and the David Rose Special School (Georgetown). The participants were required to spell words from looking at photographs and to express phrases using sign language. The results of today’s competition are as follows:
Category 1 – 7 – 10 years
1st Place - linden SEN Centre - Bibi Shafeza Khan
2nd Place - New Amsterdam Special School - Shania Jairam
3rd Place - Schoonord Learning Centre for Diverse Needs
3rd Place - New Amsterdam Special School - Niomi Nasir
Category 2 – 11 – 13 years
1st Place - New Amsterdam Special School - Abigail Jairam
2nd Place - Linden SEN Centre - Troy Scott
Category 3 – 14 – 18 years
1st Place - linden SEN Centre - Ulancy Emmanuel
2nd Place - Schoonord Learning Centre for Diverse Needs- Andrea Maddison
3rd Place - Wismar Hill Resource Unit - Trinity Payne
Teachers Category
1st Place - Schoonord Learning Centre for Diverse Needs - Fiona Fraser
2nd Place - New Amsterdam Special School - Okolo Ennius
3rd Place - Philippi Nursery School - Tamasa Providence
