The Sunday Mail
When Section 22 was incorporated into the new constitution of Zimbabwe in 2013, the motive was to equate children, disabled or not.
Section 22 (2) of the Zimbabwe constitution states that: “The State and all institutions and agencies of Government at every level must within the limits of the resources available to them, assist persons with physical or mental disabilities to achieve a full potential and minimise the disadvantages suffered by them.”
Senators representing people with disabilities acknowledged the plight of children with disabilities in accessing education and have suggested possible solutions
Sadly, the situation on the ground is the opposite. Most disabled children are currently finding it difficult to access basic education due to lack of finance, lack of user-friendly facilities in educational institutions, discrimination as well as failure by institutions to prioritise their welfare.
Chief executive officer and founder of District Outreach for Care and Support (DOCAS), Reverend Togara Mapingure, said many children with physical disabilities are deprived through lack of infrastructural support.
“Some children do not have wheelchairs to move from one point to another, thus they cannot go to school. Those in rural areas cannot use wheelchairs to travel long distances to school due to the poor roads.
For example in Odzi, some school children are walking 12 kilometres to Odzi Primary and Secondary schools respectively,” he said.
He said the poor roads are forcing children on wheelchairs to stay at home whilst their able-bodied peers are in school.
Rev Mapingure said he believed that there should be some boarding school facilities to cater for children with disabilities in rural areas where they are given special care. “We do not need blanket policies to address disability issues. Let’s have specific policies that are sensitive to the different conditions of disability, as well as geographic location.”
Rev Mapingure also blamed the attitude of some parents who prioritised the education of able-bodied children at the expense of disabled ones.
“Many parents with children with disabilities do not prioritise education for their children and they don’t mind seeing them at home while able-bodied ones go to school.
‘‘Given this scenario, there is need for an institutionalised approach as opposed to the inclusive approach which the Government is advocating for,” he said.
He added that whilst most empowered disabled persons come from special disabled schools such as Jairos Jiri and King George, the institutions are beyond the reach of many.
School headmistress at Ruvimbo Special School, Mrs Hellen Mandisodza also blamed some parents who deprive their disabled children access to education.
“Some children with disabilities come from poverty-stricken families and at times they cannot afford school fees. However, other families are in a position to pay for their children’s education but they simply choose not to prioritise their education,” she said.
Her school has an enrolment of 117 children with disabilities.
“We have other children who are not be suitable for class because of their mental disabilities.
‘‘These children are given basic education such as communication skills, among others. They also acquire skills to perform manual jobs.”
She said the greatest challenge that the institution is facing is financial support and therefore stakeholders can come in to assist.
“There is a need for the Government, through relevant ministries, to assist parents of these children to start their own projects so that they can support their children and allow them to have equal opportunities.”
An administrator at Ishe Anesu School, Mrs Spiwe Makaripe, said some children with disabilities are rejected from other schools.
“One of the major challenges is that some of the children with disabilities are rejected by mainstream schools. Although these schools use different kinds of excuses, the reality is that the children are rejected because of their condition.”
Senators representing people with disabilities acknowledged the plight of children with disabilities in accessing education and have suggested possible solutions.
Senator Nyamayabo Mashavakure said Government needs to create a special needs policy for people with disabilities.
“Such a policy will cater for resources and facilities to allow people with disabilities to access all levels of education and training. This will promote the implementation of Section 22 of constitution,” he said.
