Union lauds upgrade of 20 special schools

By Kipchumba Kemei

The Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (Kusnet) has welcomed the elevation of 20 secondary schools that cater for pupils with special needs to national status.

Kusnet Secretary General James Torome said the institutions that were earlier district and provincial secondary schools would cater for the growing number of pupils with special needs in search for higher education.

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“We welcome the move to admit 600 pupils with special needs to national schools. It is now the responsibility of the Government to fund the schools to cater for their needs,” he said.

The Government, Torome proposed, should also raise education subsidies for the pupils from Sh10,000 currently to Sh30,000.

He said the State had over the years given persons with disabilities a raw deal and demanded they be accorded opportunities in access to education and jobs.

He said the next Parliament should pass the proposed Disabilities Act that would see the needs of the disabled catered for.

“The Government should ensure challenged children get quality education for them to compete with others to access employment and other opportunities. There are many children with disabilities who have been discriminated against by their parents yet relevant authorities are doing nothing to ensure they are taken to school,” he said.