Educational Assessment Research Centre (EARC) Tana River County coordinator Dhadhe Garise has decried the habit by some parents of hiding children with disabilities from schools.
EARC officers conduct assessments on children with disabilities to affirm the type and severity of the disability, and thereafter recommend their placement to special schools based on the findings.
The major challenge facing special schools across the county, Dhadhe Garise revealed, is some parents in Tana River still do not believe their children will be safe.
“Many children are hidden when we go to assess them in the villages, which is a challenge that has plagued special schools in general because children are not available. When schools close, children do not return for the new school term, some are left at home and some do not return,” Garise said.
He pleaded with the government to employ more qualified teachers to take care of children with disabilities.
Tana River has two special schools for children with disabilities, namely Hola School for the Mentally Challenged and Lisa School for the deaf. Three special units were started in Chewani, Idsowe and Kipini.
National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) built a dormitory at the Chewani special unit school which is not in use due to a lack of beds and is not partitioned to separate girls from boys.
Chewani Special unit is for children who are visually impaired either totally blind or with limited vision. The unit was established last year, with 15 children, among them is a girl who is blind and one who is physically disabled and the rest have low vision.
“This special unit has received equipment that has come from EARC through the assistance of International Aid Services (IAS). EARC decided to support this special unit because it is new and was not equipped,’’ said Dhadhe Garise
The government at the end of last year’s term also purchased assorted equipment like embossers, talking balls, and Braille books and computers for use by the blind children.
