Grade Five books for special needs

Grade Five textbooks are being fashioned to conform to the requirements of learners with special needs.

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) said this will help various categories of learners with special needs to enjoy learning and access quality education.

Learners with hearing, visual and physical impairments will benefit from the curriculum support materials.

The process presently underway in Naivasha is being led by subject secretaries, who are mainly curriculum developers from KICD.

Their role is to guide a team of panels in checking areas of adjustments in the textbooks.

Experts drawn from the Ministry of Education, KICD, Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) and teachers from special needs education schools are taking part in the process.

Senior Deputy Director in-charge of Curriculum Development, Jacqueline Onyango, said curriculum implementers who are persons with disabilities are also participating in the meeting

Various panels are looking at Mathematics; English; Kiswahili; Science and Technology; Home science; Agriculture; Social studies; Physical and Health Education; Art and Craft; Music; Braille and the Kenyan Sign language.

This process comes after a successful development and approval of the curriculum support materials that will be used in schools from July, when implementation of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) moves to Grade Five.

The panels working on the materials for learners with disabilities must be guided by the adapted Grade Five curriculum designs, to remain relevant with curriculum requirements.

“It is all about the child and what they are able to do. Otherwise the adaptation will be null and void if you don’t think about the learner’s potential and capabilities,” said Grace Ngugi Maina, the Deputy Director, Special programmes at KICD.

Onyango said the right to education for learners with special needs cannot be relegated to the periphery in the guise that additional resources are needed to accommodate their needs.

“The constitution recognises and places all learners at the centre of education and there is no reason to disadvantage others on the basis of how they were born. They deserve quality education as the rest,” She explained.

KICD expressed optimism that the adapted books will be ready before re-opening of schools so that both the regular learners and those under special needs education, benefit.

“We want course materials for all learners including those with special needs. We shall deliver the books in good time so that no learner feels left out,” Onyango said.