The government through the Ministry of Education has been urged to conduct an audit in all primary school facilities to assess their levels of suitability to pupils living with disabilities.
Nyeri County Deputy Governor Ms Caroline Karugu said most learning institutions lacked favourable facilities for pupils living with physical challenges.
Speaking today at Nyeri County Referral Hospital during the launch of “Wezesha Elimu Programme” which is sponsored by Safaricom Foundation and other partners, Karugu said most pupils with disabilities were exposed to unhygienic standards that threatened their health.
The programme aims to help children with disabilities access education through correctional surgeries and rehabilitation as well as assistive devices.
The audit, Karugu said should assess the facilities that are there and how conducive to those living with disabilities.
She cited Karimenu primary school in Kieni Sub-Sub County where she adopted a disabled pupil named Rachael when she found her crawling in unhygienic facilities.
“When I visited the school, I was extremely emotional when I found Rachael, she could not walk and barely crawl to the bathroom where everybody walked and the hygienic conditions in bathrooms and lavatories are extremely wanting,” Karugu noted.
“My plea to the Ministry of Education is to sanction an audit of these schools because they are lacking facilities conducive to pupils with disabilities,” she added.
The deputy governor also maintained that access to education is a basic right of all children whether living with a disability or not.
Karugu asserted that the level playing field in children’s education should be equal to enable them to compete fairly for global positions.
“The Social Pillar in Kenya Vision 2030 details the fact that access to education for all our children should be mandatory and not only education but that acts as a springboard to global opportunities,” she said.
She stressed that children with disabilities should not be disenfranchised in education adding that some of them are more capable than normal children.
Karugu thanked the partners for working together with the county government to assist children living with disabilities access education and live normal lives.