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Including Deaf Children in Primary Schools in Bushenyi, Uganda: a community-based initiative

2011; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 32; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/01436597.2011.604523

1360-2241

Susie Miles, Lorraine Wapling, Julia Beart,

Hearing Impairment and Communication

Abstract Bushenyi District Education Department in Uganda, east Africa, is supporting 123 deaf children registered in 14 units attached to primary schools—eight per cent of deaf children in Bushenyi. Yet fewer than two per cent of deaf children attend school in Uganda as a whole. The history of this ground-breaking, parent-led, yet government-funded, community-based initiative is explored in the light of global efforts to promote Education for All. It is argued that government commitment to teacher education, parent involvement and Sign Language development has led to more positive attitudes towards deaf children and their right to attend school in their communities. Furthermore, community involvement is essential in achieving quality education for all for deaf and disabled children, and attempts to implement Northern policies and practices on inclusive education are likely to fail. The imaginative use of community-based human resources can lead to more genuine forms of educational inclusion. Notes 1 unesco, World Declaration on Education for All, Paris: unesco, 1990. 2 United Nations, United Nations Millennium Declaration, A/RES/55/2, New York, 2000, at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mdg/Host.aspx?Content=Indicators/About.htm#Declaration, accessed 13 November 2010. 3 unesco, efa Global Monitoring Report: Reaching the Marginalised, Paris: unesco, 2010. 4 Ibid. 5 unesco, efa Global Monitoring Report: Strong Foundations—Early Childhood Care and Education, Paris: unesco, 2007. 6 S Peters, Education Notes—Education for All: Including Children with Disabilities, Washington, DC: World Bank, 2003. 7 P Lei, 'Making the grade? A review of donor commitment and action on inclusive education for disabled children', International Journal of Inclusive Education, in press. 8 E Karangwa & M Kobusingye, Consultation Report on Education of the Deaf in Rwanda, Kigali: Kigali Institute of Education and Ministry of Education, 2007. 9 K Kristensen, M Omagar-Loican, N Onen & D Okot, 'Opportunities for inclusion? 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Additional informationNotes on contributorsLorraine Wapling Lorraine Wappling is a freelance development consultant. Email: consultant@wapling.me.uk Julia Beart Julia Beart works for Basic Needs. Email: juliapeckett@hotmail.com.