By Correspondent
Parents with children living with disabilities have been advised to present them for screening at the Educational Assessment Research Centers (EARCs) distributed across the country.
Speaking at Ganze Boys High School in Kilifi County yesterday, Principal Education Officer, Ms. Keziah Muthara said the Ministry of Education has established EARCs to equalize education opportunities for children with special needs and facilitate their full integration into the school system.
She said experts at the EARC help identify the nature and severity of the disability a child might be having and recommend for placement in an appropriate educational institution depending on the child’s special educational needs.
“They can only get these opportunities when they are presented to EARCs and have their disabilities assessed and advised where to be placed,” she said.
Ms. Muthara was addressing education stakeholders during the Secondary Education Quality Improvement (SEQIP) social assessment exercise aimed at establishing the social-economic and cultural constraints that affect children’s access to education and transition to secondary education in marginalized and vulnerable communities.
She added that projects aim at improving quality education in public secondary schools as well as improving transition rates from primary to secondary in 110 Sub Counties in 30 Counties mainly in Arid and Semin Arid areas and areas that have suffered from marginalization.
Muthara said the SEQIP seeks to provide equal educational opportunities to every learner including children living with disabilities of one kind or another in the targeted areas.
She noted that the main objective of EARC is to equalize education opportunities for children with special needs and facilitate their full integration into the school system and their community.
She said the government has schools that have stabilized Special Schools, integrated Schools & Special Units and regular schools which carters to the Special Education Needs of Children living with disabilities at different levels of severities.
She, however, observed that assessors at Educational Assessment Research Centers determine a child’s specific learning strengths and needs, and to determine whether or not a child is eligible for special education services.
She said Educational Assessment Research Centers (EARCs) are found in most County Headquarters and at the Kenya Institute for Special education.
