SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN GETTING A RAW DEAL
Mar 10, 2009
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION<br><br><b>By Stephen Ssenkaaba</b><br>SEEING one of his twins drop out of school was disturbing. But well aware of his son’s precarious state, Isidore Byamugisha knew that keeping Andrew Kato in school was never going to be easy.
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
By Stephen Ssenkaaba
SEEING one of his twins drop out of school was disturbing. But well aware of his son’s precarious state, Isidore Byamugisha knew that keeping Andrew Kato in school was never going to be easy.
Kato was born with cerebral palsy, a condition that affects a child’s brain. Over 10 years ago, Byamugisha took his son to Entebbe Children’s Welfare School, which admits pupils with disabilities.
But Kato never progressed beyond P.3. “His cognitive capacity was very low. He could neither write nor read,†says Byamugisha. In 2006, Kato’s teachers advised Byamugisha to find alternative learning programmes for his son. Today, the 18-year-old studies with the aid of a tape recorder, supervised by two teachers.
Byamugisha’s plight is shared by many parents whose children have missed education as a result of physical or learning disabilities. Absence of an enabling environment in schools coupled with stigma, have been stumbling blocks to the academic advancement of many such children.
Cossy Nabaagulanyi of Mpigi did not take Hafswa Naava, her epileptic child, to school. “There were no teachers with the competence to cater for her,†she says. Naava was struck with a strong fever in her childhood which later cripple her. “She convulses, her speech is slurred and cannot concentrate,†says Nabaagulanyi. Despite her daughter’s alertness and practical abilities, Nabaagulanyi has decided to keep her at home where she can watch over her.
Attempts by some parents to take their children to school have not been very successful. After several years of domestic training for his son, Ssendowooza Kawooya, took Andrew Ssebunnya to the Kireka Home for the Mentally Handicapped. “They rejected him because he could not control his bowels,†he says.
Ssebunnya was born prematurely with his brain and other faculties damaged. His limbs are underdeveloped and he cannot speak. He also has no control over his bodily functions. After some time, Ssebunnya was offered a vacancy in Kireka, which his father failed to take up because he could not afford to pay the exorbitant fees.
“I was required to pay sh262,500 every term. I could not afford it,†says Kawooya. Ssebunya is back home and is being taken care of by his family.
There is increasing frustration among many parents whose children suffer from one form of disability or the other, over what many claim is failure by the Government to pay sufficient attention to special needs education, particularly in the area of disability.
Entebbe Children’s Welfare School has a population of 50—80 pupils with learning disabilities, out of a population of about 200. “We lack basic teaching tools for disabled learners and where they exist, we do not know how to use them,†says Robina Abaasa, one of the teachers.
Oculoi Primary School in Soroti, one of few schools that enroll pupils with disabilities, is not fitted with the necessary facilities such as rams, walk ways, brail machines and hearing aids. “While these children are willing to learn, we cannot meet their needs,†says Tim Onyang, the head teacher. He says skilled teachers should be provided and facilities improved. With only four special schools in the district, there is an urgent need to support more schools.
Martin Wimon, the assistant commissioner for special needs, says while policy encourages inclusive education, it allows for enrollment of pupils with severe disabilities in special schools.
The problem, however, is that such schools are few and they charge exorbitant fees. Charges at many special schools, according to a mini-survey by Education and Career, range between sh200,000 and sh250,000 for boarding pupils and sh70,000 to sh100,000 for day scholars.
Government’s role
Okecho says all stakeholders have a role to play, but it has not been taken seriously. Many parents have abandoned their disabled children at schools under the influence of outdated cultural beliefs or kept them in confinement, referring to them as a curse.
The Government’s support for special needs education, especially disability programmes, also leaves a lot to be desired. While the Disability Act stipulates that not less that 10% of the education sector budget should be spent on special needs education, not even half of this is dedicated to the area. Last year, only sh68m was allocated to the department of special needs in the education ministry which, according to Okecho, requires over sh700m.
In the special schools, the Government pays sh360,000 to cover the running costs, including power, water and scholastic materials. Parents should meet the rest of the costs. An average special school runs on a budget of about sh20m a term.
Until recently, the district service commissions of different local governments have not been posting teachers qualified in special needs teaching to the affected schools.
But the Government has included sign language in the thematic curriculum and provided schools with instructional materials. Plans are also underway to rehabilitate two vocational institutes in Kigezi and Jinja to equip special needs students with vocational skills.
Through NGOs, parents have come up to advocate the rights of disabled children and provide counselling to affected parents.
CAN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION HELP?
The Government encourages schools to practise inclusive education. This system accommodates all children regardless of their conditions. But in trying to heed this call, many schools have found it even harder to provide meaningful education.
“The syllabus is not disability-friendly. As teachers, we find it difficult to communicate to children with disabilities. It is difficult to understand what they say and to make them understand what you say,†says Santino Awio Abong, a teacher in Oculoi Primary School.
Robina Abaasa, a teacher at Entebbe Children’s Welfare School, says it is difficult to handle some of these children because of their peculiar needs and behaviour. It takes a year to complete one term’s work.â€
By Stephen Ssenkaaba
SEEING one of his twins drop out of school was disturbing. But well aware of his son’s precarious state, Isidore Byamugisha knew that keeping Andrew Kato in school was never going to be easy.
Kato was born with cerebral palsy, a condition that affects a child’s brain. Over 10 years ago, Byamugisha took his son to Entebbe Children’s Welfare School, which admits pupils with disabilities.
But Kato never progressed beyond P.3. “His cognitive capacity was very low. He could neither write nor read,†says Byamugisha. In 2006, Kato’s teachers advised Byamugisha to find alternative learning programmes for his son. Today, the 18-year-old studies with the aid of a tape recorder, supervised by two teachers.
Byamugisha’s plight is shared by many parents whose children have missed education as a result of physical or learning disabilities. Absence of an enabling environment in schools coupled with stigma, have been stumbling blocks to the academic advancement of many such children.
Cossy Nabaagulanyi of Mpigi did not take Hafswa Naava, her epileptic child, to school. “There were no teachers with the competence to cater for her,†she says. Naava was struck with a strong fever in her childhood which later cripple her. “She convulses, her speech is slurred and cannot concentrate,†says Nabaagulanyi. Despite her daughter’s alertness and practical abilities, Nabaagulanyi has decided to keep her at home where she can watch over her.
Attempts by some parents to take their children to school have not been very successful. After several years of domestic training for his son, Ssendowooza Kawooya, took Andrew Ssebunnya to the Kireka Home for the Mentally Handicapped. “They rejected him because he could not control his bowels,†he says.
Ssebunnya was born prematurely with his brain and other faculties damaged. His limbs are underdeveloped and he cannot speak. He also has no control over his bodily functions. After some time, Ssebunnya was offered a vacancy in Kireka, which his father failed to take up because he could not afford to pay the exorbitant fees.
“I was required to pay sh262,500 every term. I could not afford it,†says Kawooya. Ssebunya is back home and is being taken care of by his family.
There is increasing frustration among many parents whose children suffer from one form of disability or the other, over what many claim is failure by the Government to pay sufficient attention to special needs education, particularly in the area of disability.
Entebbe Children’s Welfare School has a population of 50—80 pupils with learning disabilities, out of a population of about 200. “We lack basic teaching tools for disabled learners and where they exist, we do not know how to use them,†says Robina Abaasa, one of the teachers.
Oculoi Primary School in Soroti, one of few schools that enroll pupils with disabilities, is not fitted with the necessary facilities such as rams, walk ways, brail machines and hearing aids. “While these children are willing to learn, we cannot meet their needs,†says Tim Onyang, the head teacher. He says skilled teachers should be provided and facilities improved. With only four special schools in the district, there is an urgent need to support more schools.
Martin Wimon, the assistant commissioner for special needs, says while policy encourages inclusive education, it allows for enrollment of pupils with severe disabilities in special schools.
The problem, however, is that such schools are few and they charge exorbitant fees. Charges at many special schools, according to a mini-survey by Education and Career, range between sh200,000 and sh250,000 for boarding pupils and sh70,000 to sh100,000 for day scholars.
Government’s role
Okecho says all stakeholders have a role to play, but it has not been taken seriously. Many parents have abandoned their disabled children at schools under the influence of outdated cultural beliefs or kept them in confinement, referring to them as a curse.
The Government’s support for special needs education, especially disability programmes, also leaves a lot to be desired. While the Disability Act stipulates that not less that 10% of the education sector budget should be spent on special needs education, not even half of this is dedicated to the area. Last year, only sh68m was allocated to the department of special needs in the education ministry which, according to Okecho, requires over sh700m.
In the special schools, the Government pays sh360,000 to cover the running costs, including power, water and scholastic materials. Parents should meet the rest of the costs. An average special school runs on a budget of about sh20m a term.
Until recently, the district service commissions of different local governments have not been posting teachers qualified in special needs teaching to the affected schools.
But the Government has included sign language in the thematic curriculum and provided schools with instructional materials. Plans are also underway to rehabilitate two vocational institutes in Kigezi and Jinja to equip special needs students with vocational skills.
Through NGOs, parents have come up to advocate the rights of disabled children and provide counselling to affected parents.
CAN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION HELP?
The Government encourages schools to practise inclusive education. This system accommodates all children regardless of their conditions. But in trying to heed this call, many schools have found it even harder to provide meaningful education.
“The syllabus is not disability-friendly. As teachers, we find it difficult to communicate to children with disabilities. It is difficult to understand what they say and to make them understand what you say,†says Santino Awio Abong, a teacher in Oculoi Primary School.
Robina Abaasa, a teacher at Entebbe Children’s Welfare School, says it is difficult to handle some of these children because of their peculiar needs and behaviour. It takes a year to complete one term’s work.â€