EXTENSION OF CDF TO DISABLED CHILDREN IN BOARDING SCHOOLS APPLAUDED

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EXTENSION OF CDF TO DISABLED CHILDREN IN BOARDING SCHOOLS APPLAUDED

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The Zambian Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Technology has applauded the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for extending Constituency Development Fund bursaries to children living with disabilities and Children in Primary and Secondary weekly boarding schools.

Chairperson for the Education, Science and Technology Parliamentary Committee Twaambo Mutinta notes that the inclusion of children with special needs in the CDF bursary will help address the many challenges that primary boarding and day schools that are offering special education are facing especially with the introduction of the free education policy.

Mr. Mutinta discloses that during the committee benchmarking tours undertaken in May 2023 across the country, the committee witnessed the numerous challenges that children and schools offering special education were facing ranging from lack of infrastructure suitable for children with special needs, lack of appropriate learning and teaching tools, and poor sanitation and furniture.

He further adds that the step taken by government to provide these bursaries and support sits well with the Disabilities Act which ensures provision of equitable access to education

Mr. Mutinta who is also Itezhi-Tezhi Constituency Member of Parliament has further urged the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to continue creating flexibility in the administration of CDF in order to adapt it to the ever changing context in the education sector.

June 30, 2023 Post By

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  • Jonah Sialumano

    Reply
    02/07/2023

    Let me commend The Zambian Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Technology through the Ministry of Local Government for considering extending Constituency Development Fund bursaries to children with disabilities and Children in Primary and Secondary weekly boarding schools.
    I believe that at the starting of CDF education support, there was a 100 percent of leaving the children with disabilities behind because the common trend is that only secondary schools have boarding facilities. This disadvantaged children with special needs to enjoy free education.
    There is also need to know there there “Nothing About Us Without Us”. This means that you can not plan without involving persons with disabilities themselves hence you leave them behind.
    With this development of extending CDF education support to children with disabilities in boarding primary schools, the number of learners with special needs will increase and parents must take this opportunity to ensure that children with special needs are taken to school.
    On the other hand, government must ensure that inclusion goes along side inclusivity.
    In schools in the name of inclusive education, there is inclusion but there is no inclusivity in the sense that disabled children may be enrolled but without devices to use and without qualified teachers in special education to head the schools. This results in disabled persons in schools to be passengers because of being handled with a teacher who doesn’t know how to handle and teach a learner with a disability.
    Finally as desks are being supplied to various schools by cooperatives and individual companies who are given CDF tenders, desks and chairs suitable for a learners with disabilities must be made as well. This should also include class rooms and toilets that are constructed that must be disability user friendly with friendly ramps, pathways, enough door space to accommodate wheel chairs and other mobility aids.
    Braille machines, braille papers, white canes, hearing aids, audiometers/audiometric machines must be made available in both special schools and inclusive schools.

    Chairperson for the Education, Science and Technology Parliamentary Committee Hon Twaambo Mutinta, in his constituency, at Itezhi Tezhi Primary School, there is a Unit for children with hearing impairment. In this aspect, i have no doubt that when we voice out on disability issues, he will be quickly to understand and take action.

    Jonah Sialumano
    Disability Activist

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