The parents of 12-year-old Ramona-Shae Thorpe, who was denied access to public education because of her brittle bone disorder, are breathing a sigh of relief today as the government says it will cover their child’s school fees and ease her transition to higher education. school after the Jamaica Observer highlighted their plight

Ramona-Shae’s mum Sasha-Gaye Wood expressed her gratitude as the help came days after she shared last week
Sunday Observer that her daughter was denied access to several public schools in St James and failed to enroll in the Program for Advancement in Health and Education (PATH), causing them to struggle financially to put her in private school .

“I just want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to tell our story,” she said Sunday Observeradding that the level of support he has received since the story was published has been overwhelming.

Her daughter was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta — a condition that causes her bones to break easily and requires her to use a wheelchair or walker to get around — at three months old.

Since the story was published, the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, through the Special Education Unit (SEU), has pledged to cover the outstanding balance of $140,000 for Thorpe’s tuition at the private school where she is now a sixth form student. The government unit said this is standard practice once a student is placed in private schools by the ministry.

A transfer to another school at this time could disrupt Ramona-Shae’s learning experience, he added.

“The mother has indicated that the child does not require a (shadow) personal assistant at this time. However, we are preparing to provide such support, if needed, when the child moves on to secondary school at the end of the sixth form. Special accommodations will also be provided for the student’s primary exit profile (PEP) residency and placement needs,” the ministry told
Sunday Observeradding that SEU remains committed to the continued development, expansion and transformation of special education programs and services.

Wood is also in dialogue with PATH representatives, and she said she is in the process of making a new application.

“It’s like a breath of fresh air,” said a grateful Wood.

The Observer He met Ramona-Shae in downtown Kingston last month while on a school trip to Gordon House. At the time, she appealed to Prime Minister Andrew Holness to build more ramps to improve accessibility to the Parliament building after she had difficulty using the stairs to get inside.

The 12-year-old also expressed her gratitude for the support her parents will receive, adding that she is now more at ease

“It feels good that I won’t have to worry about someone helping me walk and stuff. I won’t have to ask anyone for extra help,” she said of her transition to high school.

“I’m glad they’re aware that some people aren’t so lucky to have certain things and they’re helping us,” she added, expressing her hope that other children facing similar challenges will get the help they need.

A similar appeal was made by her mother, who said there are many families in similar situations who are struggling and need help.

“I just wish that the attention that Ramona-Shae is getting now that other kids can get it without even having to go through the process that I went through. Going through the comments section (p Observerhis Instagram story post), I see where people with disabilities comment that their parents went through similar things. I see where these people have excelled, they’ve gone through college, so I wish other kids with the ability to learn wouldn’t be stigmatized,” Wood said.

“I just want children with disabilities to be free of stigma and have a fair chance at a fair education so they can excel in whatever career choice they want,” she said.

Wood also appealed to people in government agencies who regularly interact with the public to be more responsive with information when involving parents seeking assistance for their children.

“I wish they would explain to us as parents our other options instead of just giving us a blank ‘No.’ Outline the options and explain to us, because not all of us are educated enough to understand,” she said.

The Ministry of Education said the SEU was designed to create access, equity and quality educational provision for students with special needs. The ministry currently covers the cost of education for 720 special needs students in private schools through a memorandum of understanding established with 18 private special education institutions. This increases access to 88 public or grant-in-aid institutions across the country.

In addition, 106 institutions provide special education services in the seven regions of the country’s education system at the infant, primary and secondary levels, including public and private institutions, some of which provide services to students up to the age of 21, a said the ministry.

He also noted that schools have been sensitized to understand how best to accommodate students with special needs and that more than 22 schools in Region Four, which includes Hanover, St James and Westmorland parishes, have ramps that allow access.

Placement assistance and intervention support pathways are also available for students with special needs through the regional offices of the Ministry of Education and SEU, it added.

For the 2024-2025 school year, SEU would have placed 195 students in private schools with tuition support, and many more were facilitated through regional special needs coordinators with placement in public schools.

Twelve-year-old Ramona-Shae Thorpe (right) and her mother Sasha-Gaye Wood pause for a photo at the top of the stairs at Gordon House in downtown Kingston during a school trip to the parliament building. (Photo: Llewellyn Wynter)