Disability is not Inability

:: The Disabled losing out on Free Education, Says KNUT Report.
Daily Nation january 25 2007.

Teachers have less time to cater for group's special needs, notes the study. article by Samuel Siringi

Free learning in primary schools has disadvantaged children with special needs, a new report says.

The increased enrolment means that teachers have less time to concentrate on children with special needs such a s HIV/AIDs and those with physical disabilities.

According to the study by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), pupils with special needs were the greatest causulties of the free learning since no specific attempts were made to create separate learning units for their special needs.

Increased Enrolment

Instead, most schools enrolled children with special needs in already bloated regular classes, says the study called; Effects of Free Primary Educationon quality of Education in Kenya. The study was conducted last year, 2006.

"Given the teacher-student ratio, teachers hardly have any time to deal with special needs pupils" it says. According to the study, on average a teacher handles a class of 55 pupils.

Following the increased enrolment, teachers and schoolheads can hardly work effectively. The problem is compounded by the fact that the government has frozen teacher recruitment, and instead resorted to replacing those who leave service.

The low level of staff recruitment and the advent of school communities' involvement in local staff recruitment and remuneration explains the seriousness of the staffing situation in primary schools"
it says. The union has been pushing for hiring of 60,000 extra teachers.

The report says that due to the high enrolment, the programme led to some parents moving their children to private schools. Another unintended result of the programme was the admissison of adult pupils in regular schools. This caused socio-cultural shock due to the wide age gaps amongest pupils... There are attendant disciplinary problems between old pupils and young teachers and disharmony in the pace of learning needed by old vis-vis young ones," It says.

But the report welcomes the increased enrolment, arguing it was in line with international requirements. Buut it warns that the programme would lower the quality of learning if urgent measures are not taken.

There are 7.7 million children enrolled in the country's 18,000 public schools, up from 5.9 million in 2002.

Source: Daily Nation, 25th January 2007.

Category: Education

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