Special Education in Trinidad and Tobago: Educational Vision and Change

Childhood Education, 2006 by Pedro, Joan, Conrad, Dennis

More important, this project was significant to the reform of education; while we were attentive to the notion that the leadership in Trinidad and Tobago should own the responsibility of administering and teaching the program, we also were responsible for accountability to the validating university. Therefore, we had to support and ensure the project's success.

Effects of the Special Education Initiative

The special educators who came out of this program played key roles in making the program a major success. The majority of teachers who hold degrees in education from the University of Sheffield are being utilized in the education system in Trinidad and Tobago as part of the multidisciplinary team in the various education districts. Special education programs sponsored by the University of Sheffield have broadened in scope; a distance education master's program was initiated by the University of Sheffield over the last few years, and recently a doctoral program was added. Other education programs were added, a center was established in the Caribbean, and a more comprehensive system has been put in place.

Many people involved, including the authors, have since left Trinidad and Tobago and sought to engage in further personal and professional development in the United States, Canada, England, and other countries. Many of these educators came away from this project believing that their efforts had gone unnoticed by the decision-makers, while others felt that they were unable to implement many of the pedagogies learned.

Big Lessons

In looking back at the most significant issues about the program for our community, we recall the challenges teachers faced as the state took a long time to recognize the merits of the program. Two groups of teachers in the program received their diplomas and master's degrees from the University of Sheffield, in 1992 and again in 1997. These teachers were not paid or promoted during this time. Accreditation of the special education diploma and master's degree came in 1998.

Another challenge facing us as project directors was that we were responsible for both the administration and educational aspects of the program. It is important to separate administrative from academic functions and not implement the project until the support system for the administrative aspect is put in place. Another important lesson we learned was to keep the center of power local; the supporting institution is not part of the community vision and the project is only business to them. Therefore, it is important to treat one's relationship with the partner-university as business, to ensure that the community's interests are addressed. Be alert to those who come talking commitment but are following self-interest.

How do we view the lessons that we bring with us into the present? We believe that change is a process that can be painful because of lack of support and bureaucratic red tape. It takes transformative leadership to transmit a vision and see the project all the way through. We believe that the potential for success is in the people and that education is the tool for reaching that potential. Education, not just career training, is the means to liberation. Many of us are still in chains, however. By this, we are referring to colonial and neo-colonial institutions. Our teachers are the parents, nurses, soldiers, and missionaries of our communities and country. They are the consummate change agents, but even many of them still think that people should follow orders in the service of the bureaucracy. Our people must be educated to think not only in the context of community and country, but also globally. Commitment to needed change should be linked to the knowledge of how to work through the process of change (Fullan & Stiegelbauer, 1991). Just as important is commitment, advocacy, responsiveness ... yet all those noble ethics can come to naught if one idealizes the problems or ignores the threats to the community.