MPs call for more money for special needs schools, carers

MPs have established that carers in some special schools have been forced to abandon their roles due to non-payment.

The government should increase funding for learners with special needs as well as the salaries of their carers, the National Assembly Committee on Cohesion and Equal Opportunity has said.

The members of Parliament made the call on Monday after establishing that carers in some special schools have been forced to abandon their roles due to non-payment.

Kamkunji MP Yusuf Hassan noted the urgent need for sensitivity towards children with disabilities as they also have a right to education.

“I am living with disability so I have a better understanding of the needs of such people. Learners with special needs have a right to access quality education just like any other child,” Yusuf said.

Shinyalu MP Fred Ikana said, “Requirements for learners with special needs are many; therefore, it is illogical for them to be allocated the same amount of capitation as normal students."

The committee recently conducted a fact-finding mission to assess the challenges special schools face. One team visited schools in the Nyanza and Western regions while another toured institutions in Nyeri and Nakuru counties.

The mission exposed significant challenges, including poor infrastructure, shortages of educational materials and staff, and inadequate food supplies for students.

“Some school administrators told us learners were starving and that they had to borrow food from well-wishers to feed them,” said Mandera West MP Adan Haji, who is the committee chairp.

The MPs also criticised the disjointed academic programmes in special schools nationwide, attributing the issue to the Education ministry's lack of inclusion of these institutions in syllabus preparation and textbook distribution.

Adan noted that the committee would advocate for the development of curricula that incorporate individualised learning plans for students with disabilities.

Additionally, the committee urged the government to provide medical coverage for all students in special schools, ensuring they receive necessary health services.

Adan noted that they have developed a law which, if passed, will compel the government to pay carers in special schools.

The proposal is part of a broader initiative to prioritise the education of the vulnerable group.

The Ministry of Education funds learners with special needs in primary school at the usual capitation rate of Sh1,420 and adds a top-up of Sh2,300 per learner per year. Those in boarding schools get Sh11,000 as boarding grants.