Transforming schools to better accommodate children with disabilities in Uganda

Mr Mukulu took over the running of Malembo Schoolin Uganda a few years ago. With passion and determination, Mr Mukulu is leading his school towards a more inclusive future, where every child, whatever their abilities, can flourish. Although there is still a long way to go, the transformation is remarkable. Mr Mukulu shares this collective success.

Meeting the challenges of greater inclusion

When I took up my post as headmaster of Malembo Primary School, I was aware that one of the biggest challenges was inclusion and meeting the needs of children with disabilities. Like many schools in the region, we weren't really equipped, and our teachers weren't fully trained to welcome these children.

Many parents of children with disabilities were reluctant to enrol them, and others were worried about how their children will interact with their peers if they have a disability. Disability is still highly stigmatised, so changing attitudes and perceptions within the school community was one of the biggest obstacles! The transformation has had its share of difficulties, but I am very grateful for Humanity & Inclusion (HI)'s support as part of the INCLUDE III, an EU-funded project. Thanks to ongoing awareness-raising and advocacy work, we've made a lot of progress and seen some remarkable improvements! I'm very proud of how far we've come.

Thanks to HI, the school project is a success

HI's support has enabled us to significantly increase the number of disabled children enrolled and to keep them in school. HI has not only identified and supported these children directly but has also advocated for their inclusion in a holistic way. Their teams have helped to create specialist teaching departments and have worked with other organisations, such as Save the Children, to provide financial support for the education of students with disabilities.

Physical changes, such as access ramps or the renovation of classrooms, are essential, but they are only part of the solution! The teachers at our school needed to be trained to work effectively with children of different abilities. Some, with the support of Save the Children, have received training in inclusive education. This is the case with Mr Sam, who teaches a bright young girl visually impaired. After working with an occupational therapist, he adopted new hearing-based learning techniques that have made all the difference to her. She now actively participates in class discussions!

There is still much to be done, training must be ongoing for our teachers, and we cannot overlook the importance of school accessibility so that every child has the opportunity to learn, but we are deeply grateful for the support given to our school, our students and their families!