Norway pledges maximum support towards inclusive education in Malawi

The Royal Norwegian  Embassy in Malawi has registered its total commitment to team up with the Malawi government in providing a conducive environment for learners with  disabilities in primary schools excel in their education.

Royal Norwegian Ambassador to Malawi, Steinar Egil Hagen, made the commitment Thursday  when his office handed over a rehabilitated resource Centre and  newly constructed, accessible modern toilets to  Kaphuta Local Education Authority  (LEA) Primary School, in Kaphuta Zone, in Mzimba South District.

The two disability friendly facilities have been  rehabilitated and constructed by  Save the Children International, with financial support from the Norwegian Embassy,  under inclusive education  (IE) Programme.

Malawi government  launched  inclusive education programme in 2016, to champion  special needs education issues, purposefully, to  improve equal access to education by all leaners, irrespective of their status and  biological differences, like those with profound abilities.

Hagen  emphasized  that education was a Right for all children which has to be enjoyed  even by learners with disabilities.

Said Hagen :“ Education is a Right to all learners and deprivation of this Right is a very serious violation,”

The Ambassador  described education as a crucial treasure to children with disabilities since it empowers them to make independent decisions on the type of life to lead to ensure self-reliance as well as to  significantly  contribution towards  socioeconomic development of their communities and the nation at large. .

Hagen then expressed concern over  tendencies by some misguided parents who sideline  their disabled children, in favour of able-bodied ones,  in provision of education, warning that the discriminated  children become a perpetual burden to families when they grow up due to their  absolute dependence on their parents to earn a living.

The Ambassador  then pledged his office’s total support  to  government in its quest to  alleviate  special needs related challenges facing  primary schools, through  various inclusive education initiatives.

In her remarks, Country Director for Save the Children International, Kim Koch, saluted Royal Norwegian Embassy for bank-rolling her children  affiliated organization to take a leading  role in implementation of inclusive education programme in Malawi.

“Let me commend the Royal Norwegian Embassy for providing technical and financial support which enabled my organization to successfully execute the rehabilitation and construction of a resource Centre and accessible toilet, respectively,” said Koch.

She said her organization carried out the works of rehabilitation and construction of the resource Centre and toilets in response to a request from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technologies (MOEST), through its Special Needs Education Department, to have the facilities improved in all programme impact districts.

Koch said quality inclusive education has been singled out to be  the right approach  in education system to  ensure  that all learners, including those  with disabilities, enjoy equal access to education for them to realize their full potential in life.

“The inclusive education  initiative ensures that no learner is denied education opportunities just because they have disabilities,” observed Koch.

She said like the  commitment by Royal Norwegian Embassy, Save the Children International  will support the Ministry of Education and Technologies in its endeavor to achieve and sustain quality inclusive education, which she said was one of the key pillars in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.

The country Director then urged education authorities, school management committee (SMC) and parents at large to ensure that the facilities are used for their intended purposes and timely maintained, as  a symbol of friendship and appreciation to Norwegian  government to attract more support.

“Proper care of the facilities will provide continuous opportunities for more children to learn and develop in a safe and inclusive learning environment,” said Koch.

Save the Children Team leader in Malawi, Ruth Kawale said her organization has rehabilitated  9  (nine) resources centers and 10  accessible toilets in programme impact districts of Mzimba South, Lilongwe Urban and Mangochi which has cost the organization a hooping $230,000.

Meanwhile, Malawi government has said it is indebted to both Norwegian Embassy and Save  the Children for the support in implementation of the quality inclusive education programme which has registered positive impacts in boosting education of learners with profound abilities.

Chief Education Officer, responsible for  inclusive education at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technologies, Peter Msendema said besides rehabilitation of resource centers and construction of accessible toilets in programme impact schools, Save the Children has also supported learners with disabilities with  visual and hearing aids, special learning and teaching  materials and other  devices such as clippers and wheel chairs.

“The donation of teaching and learning materials, devices and visual and hearing aids are very expensive which government single handedly and with meager resources can not manage to afford. As government, we strongly commend our donors for the special support,” said Msendema.

Kaphuta School, boasting a total of   2,700 learners, with a total of 35 teachers,  has two specialized teachers, taking charge of  96  children with  disabilities. Currently,   74 learners with disabilities have been fully mainstreamed in regular classes.

All the  school’s 35  teachers have been oriented on the inclusive education initiative.

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