NICE calls for collaboration in promoting inclusive education

Malawi: The National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Public Trust has urged parents, governments, and development partners to work together to advance and promote inclusive education, writes Watipaso Mzungu.

Daniel Malango, Dedza NICE District Civic Education Officer (DCEO), observed that one of the challenges affecting Malawi's Special Needs Education (SNE) sector is a lack of collaboration.

Malango made the remarks on Wednesday at Mua School for the Deaf [in Dedza] during a Legal Literacy Session co-hosted by NICE and the Malawi Law Commission.

Nice, in collaboration with the Malawi Law Commission, is implementing the Legal Literacy programme, which aims to increase awareness of gender-related violence.

The programme, which is funded by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), also aims to combat all forms of violence against children in order to create a safe environment for their education.

Malango stated that if stakeholders agree to collaborate, challenges such as the culture of discrimination against children with disabilities, a lack of teaching materials, a shortage of qualified SNE teachers, and inadequate schools that provide inclusive education can be easily resolved.

"Stakeholder collaboration is critical in ensuring that every child, including children with disabilities, has the right to an education. Of course, we've learned that some parents keep disabled children at home because they believe they won't benefit from school. This is a violation of the children's right to education, and as stakeholders, we must ensure that no parent hides their disabled child in the backyard while their peers are learning," he said.

Henry Chiwaya, the head teacher at Mua School for the Deaf, lamented the lack of parental care and support for children with disabilities in the area.

Meanwhile, NICE and the Malawi Law Commission have increased public awareness of specific laws and policies that protect children's rights.