The head teachers in Karamoja region have decried the lack of qualified teachers for children with special needs, saying this has greatly affected the quality of education in the region.
The educationists want government to provide them with special needs teachers to improve the quality of education.
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According to the deputy head teacher of Kangole Boys Primary School in Napak District, the biggest challenge they face is lack of special needs teachers for their students who need them.
Kangole head teacher Chemuka
The head teacher said Chemuku said, ‘’We asked to give us a special needs teacher but up now the Ministry of Education has never given us any teacher.’’
Chemuku added that in Karamoja region, if a special needs child is a girl, the situation is worse because the community does not recognize education for girls.
Chemuku said that,‘’The community attitude is not good towards disability and if the disabled person is a girl, the parents would hide her from people.”
Evelyn Kiney, a pupil in primary seven at Kangole Primary School, is one of the 16 pupils in this school with disability.
Kiney, a deaf pupil, admitted that she has had challenges in her education because she has to attend classes with normal children who mistreat her.
She said, “The deaf are included in the same class with normal children but we do not have interpreters so we do not understand.”
Kiney said it would be helpful if the school administration made an effort to sensitize other children to treat them with more consideration.
The District Education Officer (D.E.O) of Moroto Oputa Paul said the region does not only lack trained teachers but interpreters, tools and material to facilitate disability education.
Oputa said that, “We have trained teachers but tools, materials and interpreters are a big challenge to us to facility special needs education."
Kiney therefore wants the school Administration to talk to the normal children to stop mistreating them and also provide them with special teachers who can teach them.
‘’I need the school administration to talk to those children to become our friends. ‘’ Said Kiney.’’
The district education officer (D.E.O) of Moroto Oputa Paul said the region does not only lack trained teachers but interpreters, tools and material to facilitate disability education.
We have trained teachers but tools, materials and interpreters are a big challenge o us to facility special needs education. ‘’Said D.E.O Oputa.’’
Oputa wants government to intervene and send special needs teachers to the region.
The situation has forced members from International Institute of Rural Reconstruction Uganda (IIRR) an Ngo organization to meet stakeholder and forge away forward promote inclusive education that will cater for all children.
