At the age of 13, a year after she had just finished her primary education in a special needs school; Anisie Byukusenge couldn’t find a secondary school to give her specialized education because her family couldn’t afford it.
She entered a blended college where she was introduced to inclusive education — something she was supposed to do for the first time, but she was visually impaired.
Secondary school was a challenge for her because, owing to bad facilitation from her professors, she would go for days without learning anything in class.
Most of the time she was lonely because she could hardly find friends to hang out with or even speak to. And, often, she discovered quiet places to lay her
Facing difficulties such as absence of guidance from her professors and stealing her possessions because she was unable to see, made her feel like dropping out of college.
For Jean Pierre Nteziryayo, head teacher at HVP Gatagara specialized school in Kicukiro district, special needs schools are required for simple mentoring and efficient teaching.
“A lot is needed for special-needs schools such as wheel chairs in washrooms, special infrastructural complexes, classroom setting, teacher to student ratio, among others,” he said.
Speaking to reporters, the vice president of the parliamentary committee on social affairs, Frank Habineza, said that more attempts should be made to promote kids with disabilities.
“There should be more specialized schools, because inclusive education is limited, yet there are students who can neither see nor hear, or even autistic children, and many more special cases. Therefore, to ensure proper education standards, there should be concentrated efforts to prevent any obstacles for disabled children,” Habineza pointed out.
Mary Kobusingye, a special education needs officer at the Ministry of Education, said learners with disabilities are still walking lengthy distances, leading many to drop out of college and become discouraged,
Since there are presently only ten special- needs schools throughout the nation, learners find it hard to get them from their homes to schools, at least those that get the means to enroll and travel there.
“There are parents who stigmatise their children with disabilities. They feel shamed by them and choose to hide them. It leads to low self-esteem and affects their performance in school,” said Kobusingye.
Dubbed “schools of excellence” is a policy endorsed previously this year by the Ministry of Education, it seeks to work with both specialized and mainstream schools and students will first be recognized, evaluated and then planned for their placement in schools of excellence.
The above-mentioned colleges, Kobusingye reiterated, said they would have units for learners with the same disability and be helped in union.
“Currently we are working with 10 schools, but also training teachers, while adding facilities, in those schools.”
