ADDIS ABABA – The Ministry of Education (MOE) said that people with disabilities (PwD) are suffering due to absences of institutionalized training and education policy programs that meet their special needs at schools.
Concerned bodies’ lack of commitment has also its own role in widening the gaps in school enrollment of these sections of society, the Ministry further disclosed. Alemayehu Woldekiros, Inclusive Education Team Leader with the Ministry told The Ethiopian Herald that despite its widespread efforts to improve the participation of PwD, the outcome has not been encouraging due to institutional problems and budget limitations.
He also noted that Braille reading and sign language education are given only to students in elementary schools. After that, the PwD would face difficulties as a result of absence professional teachers and teaching materials. “Due to this, students drop out is high,” he stressed.
As the education system not taken into account PwD’s needs, their academic performances have also been poor. Additionally, revising education training and policy has important issue to answer all the difficulties related to special needs education.
The government and concerned bodies need to give due attention to address the issue, Alemayehu said. In the past academic year, over two hundred thousand PwDs (9.8 percent of the total pupils in the country) were attending education, according to MoE.
The Ethiopian Herald, March 21/2019
BY MULATU BELACHEW
