Education Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon said efforts continue to integrate Special Education Departments at standard public schools that have space to facilitate them.
She was speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Savanna-La-Mar Inclusive High School in Westmoreland.
The high school expansion marks the next major phase in creating a complete inclusive educational community for students with special needs and will complement the already existing Savanna-La-Mar Inclusive Academy.
Dr. Morris Dixon said the Ministry will be replicating some aspects of the approach taken by the academy.
The Minister noted that increased interaction between students on the mainstream path and those with special needs helps to break down social barriers.
She said this ultimately allows children to become empathetic to individuals who are different from them.