My Turn

We need strategy for inclusive education

 

Malawi Government recognises education as a human right. In view of this, both people with and without disabilities should have equal access to education. It is believed that by educating all students together, persons with disabilities have the opportunity to prepare for life in the community, teachers improve their professional skills and society makes the conscious decision to operate according to social values of equality for all people.

However, positive attitudes towards students with disabilities develop when appropriate guidance and direction from adults are provided in integrated settings. Students learn to be sensitive to their special needs peers as well as live with the differences and similarities among them.

In Malawi, for inclusive education to be a success, much effort needs to be pooled by government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), parents and all stakeholders. Government recognises special needs education only as stipulated in the National Education Sector Plan. Special needs education recognises learners with disabilities as learners who should be separated from those without disabilities when learning. Technically, it promotes segregation. In fact, the word special needs is a derogatory word. We need to shift from special needs to inclusive education where learners with and without disabilities learn in the same environment.

Mainstreaming learners with disabilities requires a national strategy for inclusive education which currently is not there. Such a strategy would have many advantages. It would help curriculum developers to include content of inclusive education in the curriculum. Learners from primary school up to university should have valid knowledge on inclusive education if the nation allows learners with disabilities to learn in mainstream classes.

As of now, our curriculum has small content of special needs education which is not even enough if we are to achieve inclusive education. Inclusive education should be recognised as a subject that should be studied when training teachers for both primary and secondary schools.

To an extent, government recognises the need for educating learners with disabilities. However, there is no tracking mechanism to know how many learners have progressed to a higher level in education.

At primary school level, there is at least statistical data of learners with disabilities who are admitted in schools, but these are not tracked well into next level of education. We cannot realise fruits of inclusive education without proper follow-up and I believe a national strategy for inclusive education would help in this area.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) were petitioned by specialist teachers in inclusive education, who threatened to demonstrate if their demands were not met. They complained that they are not recognised by government and their relevance in government is not known.

A national strategy for inclusive education would help to develop a link and coordination when implementing inclusive education. It could also help such specialist teachers to be absorbed in the system, which would in turn lure more specialist teachers.

The national strategy in inclusive education can also help to overcome the physical barrier of inclusive education. I believe the schools should be strategically constructed so as to enhance effective learning and practical maintenance.

Every effort should be made to address the rehabilitation and maintenance needs of all schools to meet requirement for inclusive education. Schools should be encouraged to establish disability-friendly infrastructure by following principles of inclusive education as provided in a national strategy.

The national strategy for inclusive education can provide methodologies and practicality for empowering parents to send their children with disabilities into mainstream schools. As nation, we should know that a disability is not inability, and children with and without disabilities should be given equal chances in education!

 

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