Failure by Ministry of Education (MoE) to facilitate Special Needs Education, (SNE) programs at county and sub county levels has been blamed for lack of learners assessment, sensitization and training of teachers.
Education news has learnt that some counties facilitate Special Needs Education (SNE) programs while others don’t leading minimal activities in the one of the crucial department in the ministry of Education.
SNE officers who opened up to Education News, described how lack of facilitation by MoE has affected assessment of learners in the field.
“Since I was posted as an officer in charge of special needs I have not been able to traverse my sub county to carry out assessment or sensitization as it should be because of lack of facilitation,” said a demotivated officer.
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Ministry of Education through a circular ordered for reassessment of special needs education learners last term (First term) in all special schools and units across the country. The exercise failed to materialize in most sub counties across the country because no prior logistics were made by MoE county offices to ensure the exercise was done seamlessly.
“MoE offices both at sub county and county level have not been supportive especially on facilitation to move around our areas of jurisdiction to carry out assessment and stakeholder sensitization,” reported Aggrey one of the special needs education officer.
What needs an urgent clarification from MoE headquarters (Jogoo house) to salvage the plight of SNE learners, is whether there are funds channeled to MoE county offices to facilitate SNE officer’s functions at the field.
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One of the officers said that, it is illogical for MoE to facilitate co-curricular activities and sub county Directors offices and fail to do the same to the SNE department. He added that MoE has also been facilitating quality assurance officers who do the same work with SNE officers.
On the same, some SNE officers in special needs education Rift Valley and Eastern regions reported to be receiving facilitation from their MoE county officers. A big number wondered about the existence of such funds.
Failure to reassess SNE learners is already affecting special schools and as they also did not receive capitation funds. It has also negated against ensuring that many learners with special needs are reached and brought to school from villages where they have been hidden.
Stakeholders reached linked MoE offices reluctant to support SNE course due to the reason that the officers (SNE) are employees of Teachers Service Commission. But the reality is, assessment of learners, SNE co-curricular activities, opening and registration of special schools and units and stakeholder sensitization are purely MoE functions.
MoE should shelve its wars with TSC and ensure education for all learners with SNE is achieved.
By Naboth Murunga.
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