Many school-going children with special needs in Kajiado county are still facing stigmatization and negative social myths, Kajiado County Assembly’s Disability Mainstreaming Committee has revealed.
The committee, led by nominated Member of County Assembly (MCA) Betty Taani, which is touring several special needs centres in the county, indicated that there is low accessibility and inclusion of special children in education.
In their report, the committee indicated that the county lacks public Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) centres for special children save for a few which are run privately in urban areas.
Chairlady Betty Taani said the team is traversing the county to assess the status of special needs centres with a view of ensuring that the children are served with equity.
Patrick Melenta, Curriculum Support Officer for Special Needs Education in Oloililai sub-county, said that parents who cannot afford the expensive services from private institutions are forced to keep children at home who then join primary school from Grade 1.
Nominated MCA Rebecca Naisiae Karia, a member of the committee, said the right to education is globally acknowledged as an overarching right and there should be no discrimination when it comes to its provision.
The Committee also held a meeting with Ministry of Education (MoE) officials and school heads at Olepolos Primary school in Kajiado West sub-county.
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They identified lack of synergy between MoE and the county’s department of Disability Mainstreaming as a major challenge.
Others include; inaccessibility of public schools as a result of lack of structures for children with special needs; vastness of Kajiado West, poor road network; inadequate special needs teachers; unavailability of publicly funded assessment centres; and lack of a sustainable school feeding programme in primary schools and ECDE centres in the region.
The 2010 constitution guarantees the right to free and compulsory basic education for every child. Article 54 of the Constitution particularly targets persons with disabilities and provides that persons with disability have a right to access educational institutions and facilities that are integrated into society to the extent compatible with their interests and needs.
By Obegi Malack | obegimalack@gmail.com
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