Addis Ababa University
School Of Graduate Studies
College of Education and Behavioral Studies
Department of Special Needs Education
Contemporary Issues; Foundations, Trends and Practices in
Special Needs Education (SNED 811)
Assignment 2: KENYA’S EXPERIENCE ON SNE/IE
By: Ermias Kibreab (GSR/5545/11)
Nov 21/2018
1. INTRODUCTION:KENYA COUNTRY PROFILE
 East African Country
 Has a total population of 48,397,527 (July CIA
2018 estimate)
 Kikuyu, Luhya, and Kalenjin being the major
ethnic groups.
 English and Kiswahili are official languages of
the state with other numerous indigenous
languages.
 More than half of the population are below the
age of 25 (0-14 years 39.03% and 15-24 years
19.61%) with life expectancy, for total
population, of 64.6 Years.
KENYA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM
Their education system has early childhood
education, primary, secondary and college
education.
 The old system of Kenyan education has a 7-42-3 structure (seven years of primary education,
four years of lower secondary education, two
years of upper secondary education and three
years of University.)
 The current education system has 8-4-4
structure

STATUS OF SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION
Applying WHO estimate for disability, out of
48,397,527 Kenya’s population of, there is an
estimated 7,259,629 million people living with
disability.
 According to MoEST (2014), a total of 21,050
and 81,649 children were enrolled in special
schools and integrated schools, respectively.
 This is well below the estimate

POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR SNE/IE

The Government of Kenya has ratified
international agreements related to people with
disabilities and also adopted a number of laws
and policies to improve life standards of
peoples living with disabilities. The main ones
are listed below.
CONSTITUTION
The 1969 Constitution indicates discrimination
on race, tribe and color is unlawful, however, it
doesn’t indicate discrimination on the basis of
disability.
 Contrary to this, the 2010 constitution prohibits
discrimination on the grounds of disability.
 The new constitution has details of issues
related to persons with disabilities

THE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, 2003
This is a comprehensive law covering rights,
rehabilitation and equal opportunities for people
with disabilities.
 This act details the establishment of the national
council for persons with disabilities. The rights and
privileges of PWDs is outlined with respect to
employment, incentives, education, health,
accessibility and mobility, public buildings, etc.
 On the education aspect of PWDs, it has issues
related to admission of persons with disabilities to
learning institutions, entry requirements, and
establishment of special schools
 this document promote special schools as
opposed to IE

FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION, 2003
this was considered as very vital to the
attainment of universal primary education by
removing challenges that prevented children
from accessing education.
 This contains special education and schools for
children with disabilities by providing additional
funding to meet the needs of children with
disabilities in schools.

THE NATIONAL SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION
POLICY FRAMEWORK (2009)
This document which was prepared by the Ministry
of Education highlights the commitment of the
government to provide equal access to all children,
including those with special needs.
 This framework was prepared to harmonize
education service provision for learners with special
needs and disabilities in Kenya.
 The document has detailed on goal and objectives,
vision, mission of the government with respect to
SNE, and guiding principles. The policy provision
included assessment, interventions, specialized
facilities, partnership, resource mobilization, etc.

BASIC EDUCATION ACT (2013)
Published by the National Council for Law in 2013
 has a special sub-topic dedicated to promotion of
special needs education.
 The document highlights establishment of public
special schools which caters for the needs of
children with special needs which include
intellectual, mental, physical, etc.
 Availing trained teachers, infrastructure, learning
materials and equipments suitable for learners with
special needs was articulated as responsibility of
the government.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING POLICY, 2012
Even though at infant stage, the document
indicates there is move to provision of IE from the
traditional special schools.
 This provision was limited to four traditional
categories; hearing impairment, visual impairment,
mental retardation and physical handicap leaving
out all other areas. Areas left out include learners
with Autism, Gifted and Talented, Emotional and
Behavioural Difficulties and specific learning
disabilities.
 It is more recently that provision has been
extended to such children in regular schools
through the policy of inclusivity.

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES FOR
SECTOR POLICY FOR LEARNERS AND
TRAINEES WITH DISABILITIES, 2018

Policy implementation document on SNE
NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL SECTOR SUPPORT
PROGRAM (NESSP)
Similar to our ESDPs
 2013-2018
 Aligned with Kenya’s 2030 Vision
 the NESP document highlights the policy goals,
objectives, major challenges and proposes
strategies and financing options for the realization of
such goals and objectives over a period of five
years.
 It gives emphasis on improvement of quality and
relevance, access, equity, sector governance and
accountability as well as social competencies and
values at all levels of Education and Training
structures.

NESP…

Strategies for better SNE:
 Reforms
to the basic education curriculum are
consistent with the needs of children with special
needs.
 Review of the assessment/examination processes
includes improved responsiveness to the particular
needs of children with special needs.
 Reforms in teacher education curriculum made
consequent to reforms in curriculum for children
with special needs.
 Establish enrolment, retention and transition rates
for SNE learners.
NESP…

Strategies
 Provide
strategic support including technical,
financial, material to institutions specialising in
disability work and the education of children with
disabilities
 Carry out capacity building for SNE teachers on
functional assessment.
 Mainstream disability.
 Develop individualized education programme
framework in partnership with key stakeholders.
 Implement inclusive education in Kenya though the
allocation of sufficient
SIGNIFICANT BODIES RESPONSIBLE FOR
DISABILITY ISSUES
 The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social
Development: the focal point for issues related
to disability.
 The ministry has rehabilitation centers
throughout the country and trains persons with
disabilities so that they have jobs.
 The ministry has established a National Council
for Persons with Disabilities, which is
considered as the official arm of the
government on disability issues.
BODIES…

The Ministry of Education: this ministry is
working to ensure children with physical and
mental disabilities are placed in mainstream
schools.
BODIES…
Kenya Institute for the Blind (KIB) and the Kenya
Institute for Special Education (KISE): these two
specialised institutions are responsible for
producing instructional materials for learners
with visual impairments.
 Higher Education Institutions: diploma and
undergraduate degree courses are given for SNE
teachers focusing on hearing impairment and
visual impairment that enable specialization in
Kenyan Sign Language and Braille respectively.

SOCIETIES

Various societies/unions/associations working
on different types of disabilities exist in Kenya.
CHALLENGES IN PROVISION OF SNE

Various reviewed documents acknowledged
that the provision of SNE/IE is at its infant
stage and is married with a multiple challenges
including the following:

Various documents testified that majority of
children with disabilities do not attend school
and remain at home.
CHALLENGES IN PROVISION OF SNE

According to ILO (2009), some of the
challenges were poverty,
 limited
opportunities for accessing education,
 health,
 employment
opportunities.
 Negative attitudes and beliefs with regard to the
causes and consequences of special needs and
disabilities
CHALLENGES…
Lack of a comprehensive policy on SNE and proper
guidelines on mainstreaming of special needs
education at all levels and in the country.
 Lack of appropriate tools and skills for early
identification and assessment;
 Inadequate physical infrastructure, teaching/
learning materials and facilities appropriate for
SNE learners
 Inadequate skilled manpower and inappropriate
placement of children with special needs and
disabilities

CHALLENGES…
Unreliable and inaccurate data on SNE initiatives
across all levels of education.
 Inadequate funding of subsector – capitation
grants are insufficient to address the needs of
children with disabilities.
 Staff view disability mainstreaming as a cross
cutting issue, but lacking in implementation
priority.
 Insufficient data on staff and learners with
disabilities necessary for planning purposes.
 cultural prejudice and attitude,

CONCLUSION
Status of IE at Kenya is at early stage and great
proportion of students with disabilities were not
enrolled to any form of school
 They have so many documents on SNE/IE but
reviews indicate low level of implementation at
schools
 Significant proportion of students enrolled in
Special Schools as opposed to IE
 IE is at it infant stage, and needs more effort to
cater needs of every students in the community
