A school for students with special needs is to be established from September this year, Parliament has been told.

Minister for Education and Development Paula Cox told the House of Assembly on Friday that the new school will cater for up to 25 children who cannot progress in the usual mainstream setting.

About $1.4 million has been set aside in this year's budget to pay for the new facility, although Ms Cox has not yet revealed where it will be.

Immediately after Ms Cox took over at the helm of education almost 18 months ago, she began meeting with parents and teachers to discuss the whole issue of special needs students.

It followed complaints by some parents that their children's needs were simply too severe for them to be properly cared for and taught in the Island's public school classrooms.

Since then, the Minister has met with numerous groups in a bid to provide an alternative school for those parents who wish to send their children elsewhere. However, it will not be mandatory, and will purely be an option for those families who seek something different.

On Friday she said: "As a result of that dialogue, and the resultant survey that ensued, the Ministry will establish a special school for students whose medical needs are such that they cannot readily benefit from placement in the normal school setting.

"This special school is expected to come on line in September 2003 and will cater to the needs of up to 25 students. There will be a need to hire approximately 12 persons to staff the school."

The Minister said a committee, headed by education officer Darlene Warner and comprising staff from the Ministries of Health and Education, had been meeting to develop the programme to be offered.

Advertisements for an administrator and teachers had already been placed both locally and overseas, she said.

"A time line for informing parents has been developed," added Ms Cox. "We expect that everyone who is involved in any aspect of this project will know before the end of this school year how they will be situated in September." In addition to the 12 teachers, the Minister said the Ministry would be asking five para-educators already in service in the system to consider moving to the special school with their students, so that the transition for the students was made as comfortably as possible.

It is also expected that a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, social workers and a counsellor will also be on staff, and she said it was expected that students would receive support in groups of six.

The new school for special needs is part of a new drive to provide greater alternatives for children, who, for whatever reason, are unable to thrive in mainstream education.

Last September, about 70 children were moved out of the two public secondary schools and sent to The Educational Centre (TEC) or Care Learning Centre, instead, to be schooled.

The removal of the students, who predominately had behavioural and emotional issues, is said to have caused a calming effect on their old schools and seen some improvements in the students education, Ms Cox told the House. But she said she hoped the late notice given to parents of those students last year would not be repeated this summer if and when schools recommend that some students should be transferred from this coming September. She added: "Schools have been required to ensure that parents are well aware of the potential for a recommendation for a student to be removed well before the fact."

And the Minister said advertisements seeking tenders for any organisation wishing to provide alternative education had already been placed, and she anticipated that arrangements for the relocation of students would be published before the end of this school year.

Ms Cox said: "We are extremely pleased with the results that have been achieved thus far at both TEC and CARE.

"Our students seem to be flourishing and two of our students placed at CARE have already passed the GED exam and students at both TEC and CARE are in the process of preparing to sit the GED exam locally within the next couple of months."

But the Minister said early intervention was best and, at the pre-school level and primary schools, direct intervention, monitoring and consultation were provided to help manage student behaviour.

She added: "An interdisciplinary team approach is used to resolve the behaviour issues of younger students.

"Anger management and social skills groups are additional services offered. The amount granted this year (in the budget) is an increase on previous years.

"As a result, therapists will be able to meet the needs of approximately 90 students and provide increased one-to-one support."