Support to children with special needs
In Kenya, various legal and social instruments provide
a rights-based approach to supporting children with
special needs. Under Children’s Act Chapter 53 and
Disability Act Chapter 54, children with special needs,
like other kids, have the right to free education. They
also have the right to be protected from abuse,
neglect, harmful cultural practices, exploitative labor,
and all forms of violence.
The inclusion of children with special educational
needs in mainstream schools is the law of the land in
Logologo school kids with hearing disabilities
Kenya. The legislation behind the law is supported by
international bodies such as the United Nations, which
advocated the government to establish the National Council for Persons with Disability (NCPD) to
help the disabled people in Kenya. Another body, Education for Persons with Special Educational
Needs (EPSEN), established a statutory framework for assessment and individual education plans for
children with special educational needs.
However, children with special needs in places like Marsabit, Samburu, and Isiolo are in tougher
situations. In pastoralist communities, disabled people are traditionally subjected to discrimination
because they are viewed as bad omens or as a curse to the family. In extreme circumstances they
are either left to die or to live in abusive situations. Some are chained to trees or tree stumps and
left with no care giver –only dogs to guard them when their families migrate with livestock. While
there is still no conclusive data on people with special needs in these 3 counties, the head teacher at
one school in Maralal, Samburu Central, with an enrollment of 264 learners (127 boys, 119 girls),
indicated that the need is high and that additional children in the community cannot attend school
because they are already operating with the maximum number of learners they can due to lack of
facilities and personnel. And when it comes time to admit new students, disabled kids are not likely
to be chosen.
Believing that all children have equal rights to education as well as other basic rights, IIRR has
initiated activities to support primary schools that provide an enabling learning environment for all
children, including the disabled. Specifically, we have provided assorted educational learning and
teaching materials for the visually and hearing impaired and physically challenged learners in three
schools in Logologo, Maralal. We have also rehabilitated a classroom in Wamba for special needs
learners.
With funding from UKAID, IIRR has provided 5 wheelchairs,
30 Braille machines,10 white canes, assorted core subject
books for pupils and teachers, and guides for all subjects
taught (mathematics, science, social studies, religious
education, English, Kiswahili). Other materials include
speech kits, sentence makers, wall clocks and writing
materials.
Rehabilitated special needs class for
Logologo integrated primary school
IIRR was also able to hold sensitization and advocacy
meetings with the county government of Isiolo. The
meetings were attended by the governor and deputy
governor among other leaders, who were lobbied to provide
legislation and resources to support children with special
needs.
The learning and teaching resources provided by IIRR have
made learning more interesting for the learners and more
motivating for the teachers. ‘Now we can proudly say we
Regional Director-Africa presents special
have been lifted from the ground,’ says the long-serving
needs in education materials to the
head teacher of the school, Mr Musa Abdille. ‘The moment
Logologo primary school head teacher.
you gave us the materials, we immediately gave them to the
teachers and learners. We really needed them and have put them to good use,’ he says, pointing to
the sentence makers.
In Logologo, Mr John Osman, teacher for visually impaired learners is also grateful. ‘So far, only IIRR
has supported us this generously. As a visually impaired teacher, I can now comfortably teach both
sighted and visually impaired learners using these Braille materials which I never had before. I
appreciate the UKAID donors for this kind gesture.’
Unfortunately, this is only a drop in the ocean for the needs that these learners have. There is still
public ignorance and indifference on issues of special needs. Many more children are still in the
communities without the necessary and appropriate help. Many parents and families still are not
aware nor have the required information and knowledge on how to help children with special needs,
or where to take them for further help. Additional community sensitization and parental education
are still needed on issues of disability and special needs. More integrated schools need to be
identified and equipped with the required teachers and learning materials for these children. More
teachers and caregivers need to be trained on modern ways of supporting children with various.
needs. These learners have talents and
immense potential that needs to be
tapped to make them self-reliant in life.
Secondary schools also need to be
equipped so that these children can be
able to transit to them and complete their
education. County governments also
need to be mobilized and lobbied to
enact legislation that protects, provides
and prioritizes the needs of children and
adults with special needs.
Disabled kids proudly using their new wheelchairs.