adminConrad Gweru Correspondent
Education is a basic human right as firmly established in several international human rights documents that have global endorsement. International conventions state that primary education should be free and compulsory for all children without discrimination.
Unfortunately, a huge number of children living with disabilities are denied access to education due to inadequate facilities to enhance their learning and unavailability of staff trained to support disabled children at all levels.
While it is difficult to ascertain the number of disabled children in the country, some are hidden away by family members while others attend schools specifically for the disabled, depending on the nature of disability. Many schools for the disabled are not accessible to ordinary members of the community.
The idea behind inclusive education is to ensure mainstream schools are equipped with facilities and resources that create an environment for education to all children regardless of disability.
Education for disabled children is essential for poverty alleviation and human development. Exclusion from education is a significant factor in the high levels of poverty often experienced by disabled people and their families. Denying disabled children access to quality education greatly constrains their opportunities to gain independence and skills necessary for poverty alleviation.
Mainstreaming of disability in schools will mean that schools for the disabled will be removed while refurbishment on mainstream schools is conducted to accommodate all forms of disability.
Inclusive education will allow disabled children to attend schools alongside other children from their community, doing away with stigma and discrimination that disabled people face in society. Many parents with children living with disabilities are not always eager to disclose the disability status of their children as some reports indicate that some disabled children are always locked in doors as parents fear stigma and discrimination associated with disability in their communities. These issues are not only common in Zimbabwe but also in many African states where disability is associated with witchcraft and other negative rituals.
Education systems need to include and provide specific support for disabled children, allowing them to gain independence and escape poverty. Development partners should put inclusiveness at the heart of their education support to ensure that aid tackles the barriers faced by disabled children.
In Zimbabwe “disabled person” means a person with a physical, mental or sensory disability, including a visual, hearing or speech disability, which gives rise to physical, cultural or social barriers inhibiting him from participating on an equal level with other members of society in activities, undertakings or fields of employment. The Disabled Persons Act of 2001 gives powers to the Disabled Persons board, set under the same Act, to issue adjustment orders to facilities so that they accommodate all forms of disability. Such adjustments include refurbishments that will allow all disabled people to access facilities equally with every other person. For example, people on wheelchairs are unlikely to access buildings with stairs and without elevators.
Unfortunately, the same Act ‘disables’ the board from giving adjustment orders to government owned state institutions which include schools and hospitals. A section of the Act states; “The Board shall not serve an adjustment order in terms of subsection (2) upon — (a) any hospital, nursing home or clinic controlled or managed by the State or registered in terms of the Health Professions Act [Chapter 27:19] or the Psychological Practices Act [Chapter 27:11], except with the consent of the Minister responsible for health; [amended by Act 6/2000 with effect from the 2nd April, 2001.] (b) any school or educational or training institution controlled or managed by the State or registered in terms of the Education Act [Chapter 25:04], or the Manpower Planning and Development Act [Chapter 28:02], except with the consent of the Minister responsible for the administration of the institution or Act concerned.”
There is need therefore to revise the Act and give more powers to the board to issue adjustment orders to government owned facilities. In light of the education sector, this move will pave way for refurbishment of schools by creating an environment for inclusive education.
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