For families in Mabaruma raising children with special education needs and disabilities, finding specialised support has often meant looking beyond Region One (Barima-Waini). That has changed with the opening of the region’s first Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school, right in their community.

The Mabaruma SEND School, opened by the Ministry of Education, is the 57th SEND space in Guyana. It can accommodate up to 30 learners and is staffed by four teachers trained in special education. Fifteen learners are already enrolled.

Each learner will receive personalised support, resources and learning opportunities without leaving their community, sparing families the cost and strain of seeking help outside the region.

According to the Ministry of Education, Mabaruma will not stand alone for long. Similar schools are planned for Region One’s other two sub-districts, Moruca and Matarkai.

In fact, the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) has invited bids for new SEN facilities at Moruca and Port Kaituma, at $37.4 million each.

The Mabaruma school is part of a rapid national expansion. In 2020, Guyana had only 13 recognised SEND spaces. That number has more than quadrupled, supported by new specialist training. More than 300 people have graduated in SEND through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), and the University of Guyana (UG) introduced specialised SEND courses in 2025.

The Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) now also offers specialised courses for parents of children with special needs. The Ministry’s goal is for learners with disabilities across Guyana to receive specialised support closer to home.