June 23, 2024 - Week 22

I received a FutureMe letter from 6 months ago today. It was very interesting to read my old self encourage my current self and assure me that it is okay if I want to go home (be it Canada or Australia). What was lovely was how I concluded: "In all things: Act Justly, Love Mercy and Walk Humbly." For those who know, Micah 6:8 (the reference for this Bible verse) is the inspiration of my tatts and was also the subject of today's sermon at Church. So what a surprise!

Graduation is in four days! And already I can see and hear the tiredness of the teachers, I even splurged on a coffee break to buy a coffee for a teacher because she was exhausted. Thankfully, they have the 2-month summer break to look forward to after Graduation, unfortunately, I am classified as a hybrid teacher/admin staff so I still have to work through this break.

This week I did gain some valuable insights into the challenges the teachers face, challenges which never crossed my mind and wholeheartedly would love to address:

I often think of the teacher-student ratio based on a normal school recommendation, but likkle did I realize that the type of disability - including the presence of shadows (for Autistic students) - would impact this ratio. However, Abilities does not have the resources to adopt this new ratio, and especially if students are newly disabled, extra care and attention also need to be provided. For example, the same student I was trying to teach to play/find the piano also has trouble finding a computer keyboard and how to type. Imagine suddenly going blind and then having to type without looking at the keyboard or being able to read the output.

I often also assume every teacher at the school has special education, but it would seem not. My first observation was a lack of sensitivity: the Program coordinator was asking me why the soloist was mumbling and the other wasn't singing the right words. I responded that one of them couldn't read and the other seemed to have speech difficulties. Another teacher was training the graduates to stand up with no sound i.e. no chair sound, but I do not think she accounted for those who had movement limitations and I saw one student struggle to even stand up.

Next, it would seem Jamaicans prioritize orderliness to a militant degree - the teachers expected the students to move in time to the music perfectly, however because they could not, they asked the students to stand rock still. In my opinion, being able to move to the song (and even if not in sync) allows the students to enjoy the music and the audience should be all the more understanding about the disorderliness given these students are people with disabilities. It would be a shame to force them into the neat robotic mould of society without recognising their individual disability.

Finally, the government agency that certifies the trainees for a trade seems to be somewhat inefficient. I have learned that they have once lost our trainee's exam papers, failed to provide exam results and also failed to generate the requisite certificates to support the student has passed the exam. It is frustrating that the very organisation that prides itself in placing people into employment is one of the critical pain points of preventing employment.

Some food for thought.