Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1560729,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1560729/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 680,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kitui Central, WDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Makali Mulu",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "there are about 24 teachers who can help, yet the TSC cannot even take them up and put them on their payroll to motivate them. They are playing such a key role in the education of these children with disabilities, but they are not being paid. As a House, I wish we could identify such teachers and ensure they are employed even before we employ the other teachers. The Ministry of Education’s structure is minimal. Actually, it is through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) that we have helped them get some facilities. We have renovated classrooms, workshops, and dormitories. I appreciate one NGO from Germany. It has done a massive structure for the visually impaired. If you go there, you will ask yourself the role of our Government in this important special education. Now that the Bill is here with us, I agree with my colleagues that we must work very hard as a House to ensure we pass it. Other than institutional and legal frameworks, I do not know whether we could be very specific with the financial framework of funding special learners during the Third Reading. That is so that the Bill will be very strict in how the Government funds this special education. In that case, our kids will be able to get the right education. Parents are the other important bit. We all know education is free in this country. What has happened? We have lumped special schools with primary schools for normal children. We say education is free at the primary level. You will find that we do not consider these institutions when giving bursaries because they still offer basic primary school education. However, if you look at the statistics the Mover provided, he has told this House that only 9 per cent of learners in basic primary and secondary level education transition to secondary education because of the expenses involved. Many parents have come to my office looking for support because principals of secondary schools have asked them to pay for the upkeep of their students. As I said earlier, it becomes very expensive since everything required of these students is special. Most parents are unable to afford them. I agree with Hon. Emaase, although I do not know if it is she or the other Hon. Member who said that a majority of these children come from poor homes. When you do your research, you will realise that very few of them come from well-to-do families. On that note, you will realise that the education of learners with disabilities is so expensive that most parents cannot afford it. To make things worse, you and I, patrons of the NG-CDF, cannot support them through bursaries because of the Act. In that case, parents are on their own. Even as we debate this important Bill, and because basic education is free, it is important that we get an exceptional way out. We need to ensure that we have a special fund to assist parents in getting their children to school. Otherwise, we will be excluding them from the normal life expected of a child. The integration policy is the other thing that has not worked. The Government developed a policy saying all these pupils should be integrated into the main education system. You know, we are saying that they are special cases. Their understanding is slower than that of normal or genius children. They cannot keep the same pace when teachers teach them. Therefore, these children are marginalised even in terms of teaching. It is important that we determine levels of disability even as we talk about integration in the education system. Otherwise, most disabled children will be left behind, while some of them are isolated. You will find them on their own when you go to their classrooms. They do not even interact with other students. The issue of learners with disability is very important. I agree with those who say we must give them special attention if we want to go far as a country. We must give them special budgets for them to reach the levels they want in their education. With those many remarks, thank you for this opportunity. I appreciate the Departmental Committee on Education and the Senate for this important Bill. I urge Hon. Members to fast- track this Bill to the Third Reading and have it passed and assented to so that our children can benefit from it. I submit. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}