Why it is needed
Children with disabilities (CwDs) remain one of the principal groups excluded from education globally. In Uganda, only an estimated 9% of CwDs enroll in primary school. Furthermore, those who do attend are more likely to be excluded from the classroom, fail to progress, and consequently drop out (UNESCO 2015).
The right to high-quality education for children marginalized by disability and poverty is an urgent issue. The provision of multidisciplinary, holistic therapy services is crucial to enabling Inclusive education that can break the link between disability, family income, and lack of educational achievement. Therefore, there is a moral imperative to provide an inclusive learning environment for children with disabilities to raise attainment and close the disadvantage gap.
KCDC’s team of therapists, teachers, nutritionists, and social workers have helped rehabilitate over 3,500 children, all with a wide range of physical, intellectual, and communication disabilities, back into their communities and have made attending school a possibility, however, the current challenge is to ensure CWDs are enabled to thrive and learn effectively in Ugandan classrooms.
Kyaninga Education Hub serves as a centre of excellence for the continued professional development of local Ugandan teachers in KCDC partnership schools. The benefits of investing in teacher learning and professional development are not limited to but include:
- Enriched understanding of inclusive pedagogy for all children
- Increased awareness of the importance of inclusive education
- Sustained and improved learning outcomes for children of all abilities including children with SEN
- Promotes culture of placing value on stigma-free, lifelong learning and development
- Improved teacher proficiency in provision of high quality teaching and learning for CwDs