- Malon Ogutu argues that gaps in coordination, staffing and funding continue to undermine Special Needs Education services.
- He says outdated assessment capacity and limited field support are placing unnecessary burdens on learners and parents.
- Ogutu wants government to modernise EARCs, strengthen accountability and ensure SNE policies translate into practical support.
I wish to raise a serious concern regarding the disturbing state of Special Needs Education (SNE) services in Kenya and the apparent failure to adequately address the challenges facing learners with special educational needs.
There appears to be a disconnect between the SNE Directorate, County Education Offices and Sub-County Education Offices. This lack of coordination has significantly affected the delivery of SNE services at the grassroots level. Policies and directives formulated at the national level are not always being effectively translated into meaningful action in counties and sub-counties.
Of particular concern is the absence of adequate and dedicated SNE officers at the field level to effectively discharge the functions of the Directorate. The Directorate appears to rely heavily on TSC officers serving in SNE-related roles. However, these officers are primarily guided by the employer mandate of the Teachers Service Commission, leaving critical SNE activities and responsibilities inadequately addressed.
The situation is further worsened by inadequate funding for SNE activities at the field level. County and sub-county offices are unable to effectively undertake essential activities such as learner assessment, stakeholder mobilisation, monitoring, follow-up and support of learners with special educational needs.
As a result, many learners continue to go without the assessment and specialised support they urgently require.
EARCs need modern assessment capacity
The condition of Educational Assessment and Resource Centres (EARCs) is equally concerning. Many centres are reported to be operating with obsolete or inadequate equipment, some of which has been in use for years.
It is unacceptable that centres responsible for assessing learners with disabilities and other special educational needs should continue operating without modern, appropriate and functional assessment tools.
The consequences are borne directly by parents and learners.
Parents are forced to travel long distances with their children in search of assessment services because some nearby EARCs lack the necessary equipment and, in some cases, the required medical and specialised personnel.
This imposes unnecessary financial, emotional and logistical burdens on families that are already facing significant challenges.
For years, Kenyans have continued to hear promises that SNE will be revamped and strengthened. Yet, on the ground, significant challenges remain. Some EARCs require modernisation, field offices require adequate funding, staffing gaps persist and coordination between the national, county and sub-county levels needs strengthening.
This raises a fundamental question:
Who is to blame?
Is it the SNE Directorate for failing to maintain an effective presence and coordination structure at the field level?
Is it the Ministry of Education for failing to provide adequate resources and oversight?
Is it the county and sub-county education administration for failing to prioritise SNE activities?
Or is it a broader failure of policy implementation, funding, planning and accountability?
Whatever the answer, the learner should not be the one to pay the price.
Government must turn policy into action
I therefore call upon the Ministry of Education and the SNE Directorate to urgently restore effective coordination between the SNE Directorate, County Education Offices and Sub-County Education Offices.
Adequate and dedicated SNE officers should be deployed to the field to ensure that the Directorate’s mandate is effectively implemented.
There should also be dedicated funding for SNE activities at county and sub-county levels, particularly learner assessment, stakeholder mobilisation, monitoring and follow-up.
EARCs should urgently be modernised and equipped with appropriate and up-to-date assessment equipment, while medical and multidisciplinary personnel required for comprehensive learner assessment should be made available.
Assessment services should also be made accessible so that parents are not forced to travel unreasonable distances to obtain essential services for their children.
The Ministry should provide a clear, time-bound plan for strengthening SNE in Kenya, with measurable targets and publicly accountable implementation.
Monitoring and accountability mechanisms should equally be strengthened to ensure that resources allocated to SNE reach the field and directly benefit learners.
Special Needs Education cannot be effectively managed from offices alone.
The true measure of the SNE Directorate’s performance is what is happening in schools, EARCs, communities and in the lives of learners with special educational needs.
The continued gap between policy promises and what learners and parents experience on the ground is deeply troubling.
Our learners deserve better.
Parents deserve accessible and quality services.
Field officers need resources and institutional support to perform their duties.
READ ALSO: Merishaw shows why leadership education should begin in school
The time for promises is over. What is needed now is action, accountability and a clear answer to the question: Who is responsible for the disturbing state of Special Needs Education in Kenya?
By Malon Ogutu
Get more stories from our website: Education News
To write to us or offer feedback, you can reach us at: editor@educationnews.co.ke
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
