Principal Secretary of the State Department for Basic Education, Dr. Belio R. Kipsang has said the government is committed in ensuring all children have equal learning opportunities in the country.
The PS who was speaking in Nairobi during Global Inclusive Schools Conference 2024 “Policy Dialogue: Leading Inclusion and Belonging in Schools’ conference,” attended by international education stakeholders, organized by British Council in partnership with UNICEF, said govt has allocated resources in the sector.
The PS said the 25% of education resources have been channeled to schools with special needs learners.
“Some communities exclude the learners with special needs from many things, there is stigma, we want to provide equal opportunity for children,” he said.
More than 240 million children with disabilities around the world face significant barriers due to discrimination and inadequate support in education.
The PS said the government is setting up a factory for assembling manufacturing assistive devices that will be run by Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE); this will be beneficial to the learners and will make them learn in a conducive environment.
He noted that everyone needs to be sensitized on special needs issues, which will eliminate stigmatization and create conducive environment for all.
Wongani Grace Taulo, Regional Education Advisor, Eastern and Southern Africa-UNICEF, said they are promoting inclusive environment for all children, that they can all belong to school and be part parcel of education system.
She said some of the challenges they are addressing include teachers who are not trained to identify children that need specialized support to be able to belong to the school and feel part of the school system.
“We will work with government in training and building capacity of teachers, at school level, and help them screen and identify children that may need support and other inclusion,” she said.
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Susan Douglas, senior schools adviser to the British Council and CEO of the Eden Academy Trust, who was the key speaker, said every child has a right of education, noting that the discussion will make education more inclusive for all.
Susan who runs special needs schools in UK said govt should make ensure all learners access high quality education.
The three-day event united renowned education policymakers, school leaders, and international experts to explore inclusive education policies and share best practices.
Key themes discussed included inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, gender equality, focusing on the education of girls, the role of language in education, both as a barrier and an enabler of inclusion.
The event featured keynote presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and site visits to Nairobi schools implementing inclusive education strategies.
By Obegi Malack
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