WORKERS supporting persons with disabilities (PwDs) have been urged to provide tailored services for pupils with disabilities, from pre-school to university, ensuring they have equal opportunities to learn and achieve their potential.

Ummy Nderiananga, the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliament and Coordination) made the call on Monday during the opening of a special training programme aimed at raising awareness among assistants at higher education institutions that admit students with special needs.

She emphasised that the government is committed to ensuring students with disabilities have the same educational opportunities as their peers, in line with both national and international declarations highlighting the importance of inclusive education.

To support this, the government has committed to purchasing and distributing educational and assistive technology to students with special needs at all levels of education. 

The tools provided include laptops, tablets, digital voice recorders, hearing aids, wheelchairs, braille embosser machines, white canes, obit readers, and voice amplifiers, ensuring students have access to a conducive learning environment.

The deputy minister also highlighted the government's investment in building and renovating infrastructure that accommodates the needs of pupils with disabilities. 

This includes the construction of model inclusive schools across various regions in the country. Among the initiatives are Lukuledi Primary School in the Masasi district, Mtwara region; Patandi Secondary School in Arusha; and Mbuye School (pre-school, primary and secondary) in Chato, Geita Region.

Furthermore, the government is expanding the number of institutions offering special education training for prospective teachers. The expansion includes new facilities at Mpwapwa and Kabanga, in addition to the existing Patandi College, as well as the distribution of Braille textbooks.

Dr Magreth Matonya, Director of Special Education at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, explained that the purpose of the training is to ensure students with special needs can successfully enter and graduate from school, with the support of trained assistants.

She added that 147 assistants from 19 institutions across the country are currently undergoing training to better understand how to support students with special needs. This will help assistants acquire the skills necessary to address the unique challenges these students face.

Cecilia Izahaki, representative from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) shared her experience of supporting students with visual impairments, mobility disabilities, and hearing impairments. 

She noted that one significant challenge is the students’ reluctance to be identified by terms related to their disabilities.