Kingston, Jamaica

NGA visited Jamaica in the summer 2012.
There we visited a couple of schools: a junior high school in the countryside and a special school in Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica.
The special school is Hope Valley Experimental School which is situated on the campus site of the University of the West Indies with the hospital and associated services. Adjacent to the grounds is the personal running track of multi Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt.
It has mainstream pupils and a unit attached with a range of pupils with a range of specific learning difficulties and disabilities. The school has committed staff and inspirational children but like many schools they are starved of materials and equipment.  Also the limited resources make the professional development of staff restricted.

NGA is committed to a long term partnership. We are looking to identify resources and equipment to send and already have two large charities willing to help – RNIB and Young Epilepsy. In 2015 NGA met officials from the Special Needs department of the Jamaican Ministry of Education. NGA have written a proposal to send equipment to the country and wavering port taxes as well as developing a programme of professional development to support teachers. NGA is looking to invest its time and energy in making this school a centre of excellence in the Caribbean.