Why special needs children are still struggling to learn
May 04, 2003
JUST like other young children, education has always been the main hope for Jane Nabatanzi. But since she started P1 at Good Hope in Kaliga, Mukono, it has never been easy
By Gerald Businge
JUST like other young children, education has always been the main hope for Jane Nabatanzi. But since she started P1 at Good Hope in Kaliga, Mukono, it has never been easy for Nabatanzi. At 16, Nabatanzi is in Primary six. Yet this is a big achievement for her.
Clad in a clean purple uniform, Nabatanzi sits apparently relaxed in the middle on a desk in P.6 East. It is a short break between the afternoon lessons at Bishops Primary school, Mukono west where she joined in P4, to improve her stakes in studies.
Nabatanzi is physically disabled (her hands and legs). But this has not prevented her from coming to school, writing her own notes and weaving good baskets and mats.
When she gets her pen and starts to write using her mouth with the help of her disabled right hand, you realise how cheaply your own education has come. Yet she has neat notes and pictures of leaves, the heart, circulation system.
Nabatanzi’s father died when she was an infant. She is thankful that Mary Namusoke, her peasant mother is still able to foot the daily sh1,000 boda boda fare for her transport to school from Buguju, 4km to her school.
She can’t afford the school’s sh100,000 boarding accommodation fees. Yet here she is committed to her dream of becoming an artist. “Simanyo Oba namalako,†(I don’t know whether I will manage) she says resignedly.
Nabatanzi doesn’t even clearly fit in the special needs education programme (SNE) that is supposed to ensure disabled children get the appropriate education.
Under the Universal Primary Education (UPE), every primary school is supposed to have a special needs unit. But this is not the reality especially cially for rural schools since SNE is expensive.
“We cater for them under our academic and vocational programmes. This comes from our school mission which is ‘to provide quality and balanced education for the development of every pupil’,†says James Kalule, the headteacher.
There are those who are physically disabled, like Nabantanzi, the deaf have their special class and those suffering from mental retardation referred to as slow learners.
Ivan Bwoniba Lwanga is in the same class as Nabatanzi. Physically able, Lwanga doesn’t have a book for notes. You will be lucky if he can tell you what he studied a few minutes ago. Lwanga is mentally retarded.
Sometimes he acts normally, other times he goes hysterically mad. But he doesn’t want to agree he has a mental problem.
Smartly dressed in his school uniform, Lwanga is reaping the benefits of being in school. He can sing and beat the drum - his favorite pastime.
“We have an inclusive programme that joins slow learners with the mainstream and a special needs unit. When taught differently, they get worse.
“Though they may not perform well in class like Lwanga, at least he is in school, always comes to class and that makes a difference than if he weren’t,†Kalule says.
The special needs unit has 20 pupils but is facing tremendous challenges. While it is recommended that one teacher instructs three pupils with special needs, the school has only two teachers. All the 20 are deaf, seven boys and 13 girls for pre-primary to P3.
Irene Yatesa, the school’s specialist teacher and department head says they need more teachers and material and financial facilitation.
The SNE pupils follow the same syllabus as the ordinary pupils and have to do sign language since it is their only means of communication. This means that all SNE pupils have to be at school up to 6:00pm. Their lessons last two hours compared to one hour for ordinary classes.
“You find that the syllabus we follow is meant for ordinary children. Recruiting more teachers can solve this. Most parents are not able to cater for their children. We need more awareness. At 12, some of these children are just starting P1. We wish the children could be identified and given education at an earlier age. They are very active, especially in vocational skills,†says Yatesa.
Harriet Kudiza, the P1 SNE teacher says they also find a problem with getting the children used to the formal sign language as they come with their own sign language learnt at homes.
“Some parents don’t want to bring their disabled children to school. Some feel embarrassed while others think it is not worth spending on them. Parents should be educated and encouraged to bring their disabled children,†says Kalule.
When Education Vision visited the school, some of the SNE pupils were busy at work. They make doormats, table covers, thatches, hats, baskets, pot hangers among other items.
“We sell these products and use the proceeds to buy scholastic materials for the pupils. Soon, we intend to teach them cookery as well,†reveals Kudiza.
Some of the children’s deformity is so severe that the teachers have to teach them at home. This requires more funds and personnel, both rarely available to many schools.
Kudiza says with the above challenges, the grants sent to schools by the Ministry of education are far short of what is needed for them to do a good job.
“All the disabled children need to be helped to access education. We need transport to go to those who can’t make it to school. Since most of their parents are poor, we need to provide for their needs like uniform and scholastic materials,†Kudiza says.
Even in a school like Bishops primary, no SNE pupil is above P3 while in neighbouring upcountry schools even starting school is next to impossible.
JUST like other young children, education has always been the main hope for Jane Nabatanzi. But since she started P1 at Good Hope in Kaliga, Mukono, it has never been easy for Nabatanzi. At 16, Nabatanzi is in Primary six. Yet this is a big achievement for her.
Clad in a clean purple uniform, Nabatanzi sits apparently relaxed in the middle on a desk in P.6 East. It is a short break between the afternoon lessons at Bishops Primary school, Mukono west where she joined in P4, to improve her stakes in studies.
Nabatanzi is physically disabled (her hands and legs). But this has not prevented her from coming to school, writing her own notes and weaving good baskets and mats.
When she gets her pen and starts to write using her mouth with the help of her disabled right hand, you realise how cheaply your own education has come. Yet she has neat notes and pictures of leaves, the heart, circulation system.
Nabatanzi’s father died when she was an infant. She is thankful that Mary Namusoke, her peasant mother is still able to foot the daily sh1,000 boda boda fare for her transport to school from Buguju, 4km to her school.
She can’t afford the school’s sh100,000 boarding accommodation fees. Yet here she is committed to her dream of becoming an artist. “Simanyo Oba namalako,†(I don’t know whether I will manage) she says resignedly.
Nabatanzi doesn’t even clearly fit in the special needs education programme (SNE) that is supposed to ensure disabled children get the appropriate education.
Under the Universal Primary Education (UPE), every primary school is supposed to have a special needs unit. But this is not the reality especially cially for rural schools since SNE is expensive.
“We cater for them under our academic and vocational programmes. This comes from our school mission which is ‘to provide quality and balanced education for the development of every pupil’,†says James Kalule, the headteacher.
There are those who are physically disabled, like Nabantanzi, the deaf have their special class and those suffering from mental retardation referred to as slow learners.
Ivan Bwoniba Lwanga is in the same class as Nabatanzi. Physically able, Lwanga doesn’t have a book for notes. You will be lucky if he can tell you what he studied a few minutes ago. Lwanga is mentally retarded.
Sometimes he acts normally, other times he goes hysterically mad. But he doesn’t want to agree he has a mental problem.
Smartly dressed in his school uniform, Lwanga is reaping the benefits of being in school. He can sing and beat the drum - his favorite pastime.
“We have an inclusive programme that joins slow learners with the mainstream and a special needs unit. When taught differently, they get worse.
“Though they may not perform well in class like Lwanga, at least he is in school, always comes to class and that makes a difference than if he weren’t,†Kalule says.
The special needs unit has 20 pupils but is facing tremendous challenges. While it is recommended that one teacher instructs three pupils with special needs, the school has only two teachers. All the 20 are deaf, seven boys and 13 girls for pre-primary to P3.
Irene Yatesa, the school’s specialist teacher and department head says they need more teachers and material and financial facilitation.
The SNE pupils follow the same syllabus as the ordinary pupils and have to do sign language since it is their only means of communication. This means that all SNE pupils have to be at school up to 6:00pm. Their lessons last two hours compared to one hour for ordinary classes.
“You find that the syllabus we follow is meant for ordinary children. Recruiting more teachers can solve this. Most parents are not able to cater for their children. We need more awareness. At 12, some of these children are just starting P1. We wish the children could be identified and given education at an earlier age. They are very active, especially in vocational skills,†says Yatesa.
Harriet Kudiza, the P1 SNE teacher says they also find a problem with getting the children used to the formal sign language as they come with their own sign language learnt at homes.
“Some parents don’t want to bring their disabled children to school. Some feel embarrassed while others think it is not worth spending on them. Parents should be educated and encouraged to bring their disabled children,†says Kalule.
When Education Vision visited the school, some of the SNE pupils were busy at work. They make doormats, table covers, thatches, hats, baskets, pot hangers among other items.
“We sell these products and use the proceeds to buy scholastic materials for the pupils. Soon, we intend to teach them cookery as well,†reveals Kudiza.
Some of the children’s deformity is so severe that the teachers have to teach them at home. This requires more funds and personnel, both rarely available to many schools.
Kudiza says with the above challenges, the grants sent to schools by the Ministry of education are far short of what is needed for them to do a good job.
“All the disabled children need to be helped to access education. We need transport to go to those who can’t make it to school. Since most of their parents are poor, we need to provide for their needs like uniform and scholastic materials,†Kudiza says.
Even in a school like Bishops primary, no SNE pupil is above P3 while in neighbouring upcountry schools even starting school is next to impossible.