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{
    "id": 1251856,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1251856/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 307,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Kamar",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 33,
        "legal_name": "Margaret Jepkoech Kamar",
        "slug": "margaret-kamar"
    },
    "content": "proposing that an aptitude test, personality tests, and an entrance exam to be administered, if there is a need. Hon. Members, the above proposal is very important because in our counties, we find that some parents because of the inability to take these children to school, have kept them at homes for far too long. We have overage children who are even 15 years of age, but have never been to school. The admission of such learners must be looked at differently to ensure they get the education they deserve. It is also important that they do an assessment by a licensed medical practitioner. That is what we are proposing in the Bill. We always have our educational assessment centres. The introduction of a licensed medical practitioner is because we sometimes have multiple disabilities that require us to facilitate such children with different disabilities. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Clause 13 is on the Board of Management (BoM). We said that a BoM shall be established for any school that is called a special school and the BoM of an educational institution for learners with disabilities must have one person elected from amongst parents of learners in the institution; that is learners with disabilities. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I have personally been to special schools. It is amazing that sometimes you go to a school and find that in the BoM, they do not even have one parent from among those whose children are disabled, especially in the integrated schools. We are putting that clause so that even in a school that is integrated were we find learners with disabilities integrated with the other children, they must have a right as parents to be represented in the BoM. The other clause that is extremely important in the membership is one representative of non-teaching members of staff. This is new because in the other BoM under the Basic Education Act, you do not find non-teaching members of staff in the institution being members of the BoM. This is very important in these special categories of schools because we are proposing in other clauses to have nurses and physiotherapist in the same schools. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is very important that a member who is touch with the children without necessarily being a teacher, be a member there. This is very essential because these children require other attention. You can only understand it from the non- teaching staff who are handling them and taking care of them. Two members of this board are also expected to have experience in matters relating to special needs education and social work. Those are the ones that we have said the county government can nominate. It is very important also that we have people who are very sensitive to the needs of these children. We want to have the special needs education practioners or people who have been involved with it. The others are the standard nominations. The functions of this BoM will be to identify the needs of learners in the institution and the resources necessary to ensure that they receive the appropriate and quality education like all the other children."
}