By Dean Chisambo
Deputy Director for Inclusive Education in the Ministry of Education, Lucy Magagula, says the government will continue supporting the education sector through improving inclusive education in order to diversify the education system in the country.
Speaking during the opening of a four-day National Inclusive Education Strategy Review workshop in Lilongwe on Tuesday, Magagula said the review will help to reflect the unwavering commitment so that no learner is left behind in line with Malawi 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She lamented that the Ministry finds it imperative to promote inclusion of learners with diverse needs through different interventions in education institutions.
“Government realises the need to intervene in the development of inclusive education because there are a lot of special needs students in the country hence the need for effective partnerships to promote the system,”
Magagula further stated that primary schools in Malawi have 193,880 learners with special education needs while secondary schools have 11,521 and tertiary has 229 students.
“There is a need for collaboration and coordination with other stakeholders to develop a new inclusive strategy in line with the inclusive policy which the Ministry is working towards,” added Magagula.
In her remarks, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Education Office Director, Dr. Jill Jupiter Jones, said their organisation shares the same commitments with Malawi Government as it is supporting the implementation of the National Reading Program through the Next Generation Early Grade Reading Activity, also called NRP Nexten, whose goal is to ensure that all children learn to read during the early grades of primary school.
She further urged all Malawians and the donor community to continue supporting children with disabilities by bringing projects that can lead to more systematic and sustained improvement to a clear shared national strategy.
On her part, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) lecture Jenipher Ngwira, said it is important to embrace inclusive education because there are many children with special needs and disabilities in the country.
She highlighted that stakeholders and government should have a deep understanding of the concept of disabilities so that they promote inclusion in areas of social, health, human rights and culture.
The National Inclusive Education Strategy Review Workshop brought together the academia in all levels and the donor community.
