De Castro said the policy will cater for students with known learning disabilities as well as those considered gifted.

“Exceptional students are there. They learn in a particular way because of their abilities. And the reality is when you think about special needs and exceptionality, it includes gifted children as well. So when we speak about special education in terms of disabilities, we also have to look at it in terms of giftedness,” de Castro explained in a recent interview on the Talking Points radio show.

She said the Special Education Policy is a top priority for the government and will be brought to Cabinet soon.

“We have a Special Education committee that the former Education Minister Wheatley set up and they’ve worked hard on it and we’re at the point now where we’re seeking to have that implemented. We are looking forward to that because it will help to inform legislation, even amendments in the Education Act that are required to truly facilitate special education in our territory,” de Castro said.

The Education Minister also said that while the government is working to improve infrastructure in the Education system, it is focused on implementing the right policies to improve the teaching and learning environment for both teachers and students.