The blog post Disability and Education: Uganda and the World gave a brief overview of some statistics about education and disability. It situated Uganda in the worldwide and particularly African context. This blog post will discuss the education of children with disabilities (CWDs) in Uganda.
The 2013 report ACCESS TO EDUCATION BY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN UGANDA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM says that giving more people an education is an important way of tackling poverty. Eradicating poverty is a great driver for getting people educated.
Uganda is a signatory of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (CRDP), (see Do you know your rights?) The Ugandan government has used the CRDP as the basis for its laws. It is said that Uganda has some of the best human rights legislation in the world and particularly in Africa (see 2014 report Uganda’s disability journey: Progress and challenges). The 2009 International Labour Organization (ILO) report Inclusion of Peoplewith Disabilities In Uganda cites some of this legislation that is important for PWDs:
- The Constitution of Uganda, 1995. Article 21 prohibits discrimination against PWDs. Uganda is one of the few countries in the world to recognize sign language in its Constitution.
- The PWDs Act, 2006, makes provisions for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against PWDs and works towards equal opportunities. Also provides for a tax reduction of 15 per cent to private employers who employ ten or more persons with disabilities either as regular employees, apprentice or learners on a full time basis.
- The Local Government Act, 1997, Parliamentary Elections Statute, 1996, and the Movement Act, 1998. These laws aim to increase the representation of disabled people in the public sphere. The Local Government Act, for example, provides for representation of disabled people at the various Local Council levels. In addition, Section 37 of the Parliamentary Elections Statute provides for five seats in Parliament for representatives of persons with disabilities.
- Traffic and Road Safety Act, 1998, prohibits denial of a driving permit on the basis of disability.
- Uganda Communications Act, 1998, provides for the promotion of research into the development and use of new communications techniques and technologies, including those which promote accessibility of hearing-impaired people to communication services.
- Workers’ Compensation Act, 2000, provides compensation to workers who are injured or disabled through industrial accidents.
- The National Council for Disability Act (No. 14), 2003, monitors and evaluates the rights of PWDs as set out in international conventions and legal instruments, the Constitution and other laws.
- The Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) Act, No. 12, 2008, promotes equitable access to education and training for all disadvantaged groups, including disabled people.
- National Policy on Disabilities, 2006, provides a human rights-based framework for responding to the needs of PWDs.
- The Equal Opportunity Act, 2006, and the Employment Act (No. 6), 2006, both prohibit discrimination of persons in employment based on disability.
- The Universal Primary Education Act, makes it financially possible for families to send their disabled children to school by providing free primary education to four children in every family, including disabled children.
- The Uganda Vision 2025 and the Poverty Eradication Action Program (PEAP), provide a long-term development framework and initiatives aimed at sustaining rapid economic growth and tackling poverty.
- The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1995)
- National Education Policy 1992
- The Persons with Disabilities Act (2006)
- The Universal Primary Education policy (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education policy (USE)
- The 1996 Children’s Statute for early assessment of disabilities amongst children to achieve early treatment, rehabilitation and education.
- The Parliamentary Elections Statute of 1996 established five positions in parliament of which one of them must be a woman, and recognised the use of sign language for the deaf in parliament.
- The 1997 Local Government Act that established representation of PWDs at all local government levels for both males and females.
- The 1997 Uganda Communication Act for the development of techniques and technologies to ensure communication services for PWDs and the 1997 Universal Primary Education (UPE) Act which demands families to give CWDs priority at enrolment.
- The 1998 UNISE Act, for the establishment of the Uganda National Institute of Education (UNISE) for special teacher training for CWDs.
- Others include the special allocation of university scholarships for persons with disabilities through affirmative action and the right to assets including land.
Since the implementation of the UPE initiative in 1997 and the introduction of Universal Secondary Education (USE) in 2005, the number of primary and secondary school age children accessing education has gone up. According to statistics collected by UNICEF between 2000 and 2007, the literacy rate in Uganda stands at 74% and enrolment into primary school stands at 82%. In terms of gender, the rate stands at 84% for girls and 88% for boys. For school age children with disabilities, the Uganda Population and Housing Census (2002) found that they rarely access education. Statistically, children with disabilities out of school were four times higher than those in schools. Although the census was conducted before Uganda signed the CRDP, these figures still reflect the enormity of the task ahead and the importance of making structural and legal changes to improve access to education for children with disabilities. Given the high number of children with disabilities not accessing education, it is not surprising that the census found that only 2.2% had obtained a post secondary level education.The 2014 report Uganda’s disability journey: Progress and challenges notes, that there is a shortage of reliable research data on disability in Uganda (see Education and Disability: Uganda and the World). The report takes up the discussion of the rights based approach for solving disability problems, that is having a robust frame of laws to support basic human rights:
The 2006 Uganda National Household Survey found that nearly 90% of children with disabilities do not obtain post primary education and 60% fail to receive primary school education. In terms of population numbers, based on the 2008 figures provided by the Ministry of Education and Sports, there are 183,537 disabled children in primary schools and 11,145 in secondary schools in Uganda. The poor statistics clearly reflect the consequences of under investment and a lack of structural changes to improve access to education for persons with disabilities. Having signed the CRDP and made a number of legal reforms to effect the requirements of the Convention, empirical studies are needed to measure the impact of these reforms on the high number of children with disabilities who have no access to education in Uganda.
Although literacy and numeracy is on a sharp rise in Uganda, it has done little to curb traditional beliefs and superstitions. Access to education for persons with disabilities continues to be blighted by fear of stigma. It is still considered unholy or a curse to give birth to a disabled child and those who suffer mental health illness are often taken as possessed or bewitched. This has enabled traditional healers to earn a living from those who come to their aid. Traditional beliefs and stigma have driven many relatives of children with disabilities to hide them away from society. A 2009 report by the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) found that of the 30 school children with disabilities in Paipir Primary School in the district of Kitgum, 27 of them were enrolled in school on a humanitarian basis by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) after finding them in their communities. This highlights the scale of disregard for the right of persons with disabilities and the degree to which stigma and traditional beliefs affect their ability to access education.
In addition to stigma and traditional beliefs, poverty and social exclusion remain key barriers to accessing education. Even though the UPE and USE initiatives have eliminated 90% of the educational costs for the students, a lack of adequate mobility devices such as wheelchairs, which in most cases the students pay for themselves, has been a barrier to education. Thus, it remains more expensive to educate a physically disabled child. For children with mental health disabilities, factors such as transportation and general well-being require additional funds which in most cases come out of their relative’s pockets. For students with mental illnesses, community rehabilitation is often available but it is rarely provided given the social stigma associated with mental illness. It still remains that persons with physical disabilities are more accepted in society than those with mental disabilities.
The human rights based approach to disability in Uganda highlights the importance of attaining the full potential of persons with disabilities in both physical and mental terms. However, implementation of interventions that would ensure this has been slow or non-existent. Research in Uganda has indicated limited use of accessible information especially within education and health service provision (Action on Disability and Development Commissioned Study 2005; Lang & Murangira 2009). Examples of accessible information include sign language, and the use of electronic communications aids that allow the user to picture symbols, letters, and/or words and phrases to create messages (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 2014). Within the education sector, most mainstream schools do not provide accessible information and PWDs admitted to higher education institutions may have to pay out of pocket for any communication service they need (Foundation for Human Rights Initiative 2009; Murray n.d.). A lack of accessible information in schools has been indicated as one of the reasons for high dropouts in school and poor literacy rates for persons with disabilities (Lang & Murangira 2009; World Bank 2009), resulting in limited employment opportunities. The limited number of accredited educational institutions for training in accessible information exacerbates the problem, making it impossible to meet the demand for such services in Uganda; as a result, CWDs lag behind (Republic of Uganda 2006). Likewise, ensuring adequate availability of assistive technologies for mobility is important since such technologies have been found to create greater community participation in Uganda, especially in education and employment (Hunt et al. 2004).The 2013 report ACCESS TO EDUCATION BY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN UGANDA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM sums up the position of PWDs as follows:
On the other hand, government efforts towards inclusive education have often been criticised and accused of putting children with disabilities amongst able bodied children without adequate modifications to the teaching and learning environment, and with inadequate specialised teachers (Foundation for Human Rights Initiative 2009:15, 19). Similarly, when universal primary education was first introduced, there was a large influx of previously excluded groups of children, including those with disabilities. With few additional resources schools were overwhelmed and reported problems with discipline, performance, and dropout rates amongst students (World Health Organization & World Bank 2011).
Having examined the developments made to the education system in Uganda and the motivations behind these reforms, it is clear that a lot of progress has been made since 1986. The government has done a remarkable job in promoting the right to access primary and secondary education. The removal of school fees under the UPE and USE initiatives is a remarkable but abrupt change to a system that has often been underfunded and under-resourced. Although these policies were put in place before signing the CRDP, since becoming signatory, new legislation and policies have been passed to expand and safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities in education. These reforms have helped to promote inclusive education by removing the financial barriers and putting in place legal safeguards for disabled persons. However, inclusive education requires continued financial commitment which the Ugandan government has so far failed to do. Furthermore, there is a general lack of facilities and resources for children with disabilities in schools and colleges, and even universities. Thus, even though legal reforms have been made, little has been implemented which means that many school age children with disabilities continue to be denied the right to education.
The battle between traditional beliefs and modern medicine or practices is also being fought on all fronts. Given that modern medicine and practices are starting to win the battle, credit should go to the Ugandan government for expanding literacy for girls and boys, and promoting inclusive education through educational policies and initiatives. However, the lack of adequate enforcement has reduced their effectiveness.
Given the high ratio of students per classroom, new infrastructure and structural reforms need to be made to improve learning in public schools. This ratio coupled with poor pay for teachers is beginning to create a gap in the standards between private and public schools since the best teachers are being driven out of public schools into private ones. Thus the government must aim to build more schools, increase teachers’ pay and improve infrastructure in schools. For PWDs, wholesale changes need to be made in relation to infrastructure, accessibility and strong enforcement of policies that deter disability discrimination.
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| Changing lives through education |
At the tender age of three years, Makula and his friends were playing outside his family home in Kanisa zone in Makindye Division when something strange happened. Makula suddenly fell to the ground and began convulsing.PWDs face many challenges in Uganda. However they are helped by robust local legislation based on the CRDP. This legislation helps support vulnerable CWDs and their parents whilst getting an education. The challenges CWDs face remain throughout life. Despite these comprehensive laws supporting human rights there is often a failure to implement legislation, this is most commonly caused because of lack of finances. All this aside, education is a means of reducing poverty and moreover inclusive education, mixing CWDs with non disabled counterparts, is one of the best ways of reducing stigma and prejudice.
Upon hearing loud screams, Alice Ndagire, his mother, who was inside the house doing chores rushed outside and ran towards her son.
Once by his side, she continously tapped him as a way of resuscitating him. She noticed his body slowly folding and resorted to straightening it.
When that did not help, she picked up her son and rushed him to Mulago hospital. Makula's condition was diagnosed as a polio attack despite the fact that he had been immunised before.
Born to Alice Ndagire and Leonard Makula on November 21, 1976, Makula was raised by a single mother, his father having passed away in 2002.
Disfigured and unable to stand and sit well after the Polio attack, the severity of Makula's disability did not become clear to the family until he was eight years of age.
"At the time, I had started studying but then unlike other children who would walk to school, I would instead crawl, sometimes with my buttocks on the ground. I had to do this unaccompanied every day for six years from Primary One to six while covering a distance of about two kilometres to school and back home," Makula says.
"Some of the children who would find me on the way often said mean things including omulema (the lame one) and by then, such a phrase was regarded as an insult."
Makula was then at Kibuye Primary School, a day learning facility, located in Makindye Division. The name calling and the occasional bullying was what discouraged Makula from going to school sometimes.
"There are days I would wake up and tell my mother that I was not going to school. She would then cane me until I agreed to go. Her reasoning was that my disability should not deter me from getting an education," Makula says.
His school uniform was a white shirt and khaki shorts. When it rained, the attire was often plastered with brown muddy stains and the shoes soaked with water.
Turning point: The school administration was, however, considerate to let him study in such a state. Rotary Club of Makindye came to his rescue and donated a wheel chair as he was starting Primary Seven.
Amid the challenges, Makula focussed on attaining good grades and it is no wonder that he scored four aggregates at Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
His good grades automatically qualified him to get a placement at Namilyango College, a boy's only Secondary boarding school in Mukono District. His stay there was, however, short-lived after the school administration considered him unfit after just one term.
From Namilyango College, he then joined St Peters Senior Secondary School, Nsambya, where he continued with Senior One from second term up to the third term of Senior Two but left because the school did not have an established science class including a laboratory. For his Senior Three and Senior Four, he went to Lubiri Secondary School in Rubaga.
Then, for A-Level, Makula studied at Busoga College Mwiri in Jinja District.
Life at Mwiri: Boarding school life at Mwiri came with its own share of challenges, says Makula.
"It was tough in that I always had to wake up earlier than the rest of the students to bathe and prepare myself for class so as not to use my disability as an excuse for being late for morning preps. And since the school administration had learnt how to accommodate me, they got me someone to push me to class in my wheelchair."
Makula's helper was a young boy, aged 17, a relative of one of the school cooks.
Other than that, Makula says that what also helped him cope easily was his friendly personality. It is no wonder that it was easy for him to get fellow students to help him out with tasks from time to time.
"One of those boys who assisted me a lot was called Grace Kyagaba to the extent that other students thought we were brothers," Makula says.
It is people like Kyagaba who made his stay in Mwiri worthwhile.
On whether they still keep in touch, Makula who was then studying a combination of Physics, Chemistry and Maths responds in the negative.
"I absolutely have no idea where my former friend is. I did not see him again after completing our Senior Six examinations," he says.
Life at University: Makula's other life chapter started in 1998 when he was admitted at Makerere University to pursue a Bachelor's degree in pharmacy. The enthusiasm he had to study the course, however, dwindled when other students in higher classes taking the same course brought him up to speed with the challenges he was likely to face if he decided to go ahead and study it.
"I was told that there were instances when I would be required to carry out experiments on viruses and bacteria and because I was not physically fit, I would end up making a mistake including doing spills and this would endanger my life. But also, the course involved a lot of movements in and out classrooms and laboratories and my disability was a sort of setback," Makula says.
Change of course: Rather than feel sorry for himself, he changed to study a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Economics.
"I never attended classes because they were always held upstairs, in storied buildings. I would instead wait outside the class to ask for notes from colleagues. Some would give me while others made excuses that they were going to read," he says, adding, "On other days though, I would get someone to push me around to different hostel rooms at the university looking for classmates to give me notes.
Life was so difficult to the extent that the lecturers let me do my tests outside the lecture rooms."
Despite the challenges, he focussed on accomplishing his goal of finishing his three years at the university and he graduated in 2001.
The job market: It is tough for persons with disabilities to get employment because of the perception towards them.
Makula was always shunned at job interviews to the extent that he was always questioned on what he was doing there in the first place.
But even during instances where he was allowed to sit for them and actually passed, he was not given the job.
"There was a particular incident where I was even told to go and work in an organisation for persons with disabilities because I would not manage the organisation's work. I tried to tell them over and over again that I could handle but they did not listen," he says.
Having failed to get permanent employment, Makula resorted to doing a few contract projects for a chargeable fee as a way of making ends meet.
He worked for Action on Disability and Development (ADD) International for six months in 2005 as a social worker, Uganda National Action on Physical Disability (UNAPD) for eight months as a research officer in 2008 and then Parliament of Uganda for one year, still as a research officer for persons with disabilities in 2006.
Then in 2014, he came across a job advertisement from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives for the position of commercial officer. More than 15,000 people applied and went through a vigorous process of both oral and written interviews.
"It was such a competitive position in that I could not believe it when I was eventually informed that I got the job," Makula says.
Other than that, the 39-year-old says that there is no discrimination at the workplace and management is very understanding to the extent that they got him a helper to push him around the building, accompany him to workshops as well as help him out with other tasks.
Makula's job entails examining policies and laws that are trade-related, monitoring conditional grants to districts as well as handling applications for licenses by non-citizens.
How he gets to work: A motor cycle transports him from Nsambya, a suburb of Kampala, to the Ministry's offices located along Parliamentary Avenue. It is the same means he uses to get back home after work in the evening.
In order to avoid inconvenience, Makula leaves his wheel chair at his workplace.
Whenever he arrives outside the office premises in the morning, the helper at work pushes it to where he is.
Eventually, he helps Makula into it and then wheels him to his office located on the third floor of the building using an elevator. The aide does the same thing after work.
Normally, Makula calls any random boda rider on the roadside to take him home.
Home life: Makula laughs and suddenly avoids eye contact when I ask him if he is dating or married.
"It is not very easy for women to accept men in my state. It is the reason I do not have a wife or girlfriend. However, I am optimistic that one day, I will get one," he says.
He does house chores by himself including washing clothes, cooking and ironing, among others.
He moves around the house by crawling.
Makula concludes that life will only get much better when he gets a family of his own.
Polio and immunisation? Dr Vincent Karuhanga, a physician at Friends' Poly Clinic in Kampala says:
"It is possible to get a polio attack even after immunisation, especially if a child has a low immunity as a result of diseases including cancer and HIV/ Aids.
"But also, if the vaccine has been kept in poor storage conditions, its use may not be that effective once it is administered to a child. It is, therefore, advisable that parents take their children to recognised health institutions to have their children immunised. But also, parents are advised to embrace the mass immunisation exercises that the Ministry of Health carries out from time to time regardless of whether a child has been immunised or not. There is also a booster dose that can be given to children before they enrol for primary school."
Makula's advice to other persons with disabilities: "Do not beg. Find ways of surviving on your own by striving to be self-reliant."
What Makula wishes government could do to help persons with disabilities:"Set aside a certain fraction of public service positions for persons with disabilities because competing with able-bodied people for job positions is not an easy feat. Also, it should avail them training opportunities including internship and apprenticeship programmes."
it is such an encouraging story. It also indicates how very important it is for society to get rid of exclusion tendencies especially for PWDs. Bravo to Makula's employers. Josephine
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