Technical Instructors Tipped On Inclusive Education

BY ANDREW COHEN AMVESI

ARUA. Instructors from selected technical schools in the West Nile region have been trained on inclusive education so as to manage special needs cases in their various vocational institutions.

The instructors drawn from Inde technical school in Madi Okollo district, St. Jude Omugo technical school in Terego district and Lodonga polytechnic institute in Yumbe district were trained at Arua technical institute – Ragem in Arua city on Thursday.

The one-day training was organized by Education Advocacy Network in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Sports, OXFAM Uganda and Luigi Giussani Foundation.

During the training, Patrick Kaboyo, the Technical Advisor of Education Advocacy Network said they are trying to mainstream inclusion in vocational training education because many educators have not understood the concepts in inclusion.

**Nyakua (seated 2R) joins the trainers and technical school instructors for a group photo during the training. PHOTO BY ANDREW COHEN AMVESI**

“With inclusion we have justice and justice is climate justice, but climate should be looked at as an issue of inclusion. By also not leaving anyone behind, if any institution that is a vocational training institution is admitting students, it should not segregate or discriminate against those with disability,” Kaboyo said.

“We know that those with disability also have skills, have capabilities to be in the mainstream education and get certification hence this training so that key stakeholders mostly, the instructors, the parents and the local governments can understand the concepts for proper planning at district level but also at the vocational training institution,” Kaboyo added.

Sarah Ayesiga, the Assistant Commissioner Inclusive and Non-formal education in the Ministry of Education and Sports in the department of Special Needs Education observed that inclusive education is now an agenda of not leaving anyone behind.

“We are now looking at technical schools to be centers of where learners can go and get education. Many of our learners, especially those with disabilities are finding it easier to go to vocational schools to gain some knowledge that is going to help to support them in their life-long learning.

The reason why they find it easier is that the academic trend is not so well leveled because of the challenges we are still having in education, especially for people with disabilities,” Ayesiga said.

Among the challenges, Ayesiga noted that not all teachers are trained to handle learners with disabilities, not all materials are procured, and the structures are not well adapted to suit the needs of the different people with disabilities.

“When we look at the curriculum, some people may not know how to adjust to the curriculum. So, you may find that these learners tend to divert more to vocational institutions because vocation is more hands-on; where you are looking at how somebody is wielding, you will also cut the metal the way they are doing it because you are looking at it or may be because you are hearing the instructions,” Ayesiga explained.

As a result, she said it is very important for them to make sure that they prepare the team in various vocational institutions to handle learners with disabilities as they come.

In his opening remarks, Sam Wadri Nyakua, the Arua City Mayor commended the government of Uganda and the partners funding the training for the initiative, saying many disadvantaged children haven’t got the opportunity to go for formal education.

“Informally, these children could be given skills so that they survive. So, if this program is targeting those disadvantaged members of the community; the children, the students who may be having disabilities, it is a very good thing that we should be part of,” Nyakua remarked.

Jimmy Andruga, an instructor from St. Jude Omugo technical school said they have been receiving learners who have special needs but without any formal preparation.

“With the empowerment that we have got through the training of today, we are going to go straight to our schools and rethink all our programs so that they should be friendly to all the learners who will present all forms of disabilities in the school,” Andruga said.