FOCUS ON INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
The Kenyan education system is based on the ideals of the human capital theory, in that more education and higher education attainment leads to higher economic values, attitudes, and skills fundamental to inclusive education are therefore neglected, words of Kitty Williams an Inclusive Education Specialist practicing in Kenya. I find it difficult to sit and concentrate in class when the intention of the lesson or class has not been made clear to me or to the class. Education needs to inform an individual on how best they can survive in the environment we find ourselves in. In modern society we rely on exchanging ideas and skills to solve problems not recalling complex and irrelevant equations or facts.
In empowering the youth in attaining innovative engineering solutions the system needs to reconceptualise mainstream educational goals, under a new focus on wellbeing, rather than economic returns, thus improving the chances for inclusive education. This will lift off the load currently being experienced by most students on the need to pass exams, get good grades, get a good job, and grow in social status and financial security. There is no room for creativity, originality much more innovation in this kind of system with these kinds of pressures on the youth. The youth should not be blamed for seeking to attain economic freedom at a young age, these modern times are way much more difficult than the yesteryears where bus fare to town was 10Ksh for adults and 5Ksh for students. Right now 80% of students attending classes in the University of Nairobi commute to school daily and we paying one way fare prices from 50Ksh-80Ksh and back trips of the same amount, that is already 160Ksh for transport alone you have not included the need for lunch, clubs/associations contributions, extra-curricular activities requirements (students playing sports when injured do not get full treatment assistance from the University), notes and software the list goes on and on.
Why do some of us flourish in acquiring skills and knowledge while others get left behind? The Kenya National Survey for persons with disabilities 2008 found that 4.6% of Kenyans experience some form of disability comparing favourably to WHOâs 10% Global estimate. Persons with disability experience a mixture of fear, shame and ignorance thus often face stigmatization and exclusion. Kenya is rising to the Inclusive Education Challenge for example the Updated Special Needs Education (SNE) Policy 2009 is a driving force behind the transition for mainstreaming education for persons with disabilities. However as according to the Kenya National Survey 65% of PWDs regard the environment as major problem in their daily lives.
Progress has been made in providing specialized equipment for creating environments without physical barriers; building capacity by incentivizing staff to attain Special Needs Diplomas, this transformation though is only seen happening in Special Schools.
Empowering the youth simply means ensuring access to resources and information are made readily available, including them in decision making processes and setting up a conducive environment that encourage growth, creativity and activity. The following highlighted points are areas of focus I believe will assist us achieve youth empowerment regarding innovative engineering solutions and achieving inclusive education.
1. DESIGN AND FOCUS OF THE KENYAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
Learning institutions need to encourage all students to come up with ideas on how to improve their learning experience. According to Ms. Williams from research she has been conducting most teachers complain of struggling to deliver assigned information to children with disabilities in the classroom, due to large class sizes and lack of appropriate SNE training. The singular focus on educational attainment is holding us back, students with disabilities specifically mental and intellectually disabilities being the most affected. Students are all not the same and it would be beneficial for the instructions to create environments where students learning can be accelerated in more practical ways: coming up with new and innovative ways of solving real life problems, expressing our skills and talents through arts, technology and vocally. We need to take full advantage of our institutions and resources made available to us as a lecturer giving a lecture on the lathe machine give the lecture in the workshop that houses several lathe machines instead of the usual method of students sitting in class and having the lecturer read notes from a handout on lathe machines. Look at the machines that have broken down analyse how to fix them, that is a sure way of igniting innovative engineering solutions. Engineering classes need to get messier and less formal.
2. IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIETIESÂ
The education Assessment and Resource Centres (EARC) initiative has been a wonderful step forward in providing assessment and placement of children with disabilities; however, there is still a long way to go. They face numerous challenges these challenges should be brought to the attention and consciousness of all students and students should be given the mandate of researching on technologies that can be adopted to ensure we all progress in our quest for education, the journey should not be turned into a competition but a platform for exploring, learning and showcasing.
ï As students we need to think of how we can help reduce cost to access the services provided by the EARCs for all students or members of community e.g. incorporating mobile technology, be at the forefront of advocating for increasing access and mobility better sidewalks with adequate ramps, safer and smarter road signs to cater for all members of society.
ï Lack of appropriate technologies and capacity for assessment.
ï Out-dated technologies that require exceptional attention to detail and time.
Appropriate assessment procedures are vital for children with disabilities. Without these they are often negatively labelled (stupid, crazy, or lazy); they are neglected access to vital special need initiatives; given no space to accept and understand their disability, nor advocate for support to achieve their educational goals. Initiatives such as the idea to market 2018 free training that was conducted by Phillips Foundation, Maker Space, FabLab, Ministry of Health, Kenyatta National Hospital, UNICEF and Concerned World, such initiatives and partnerships are sure to accelerate the youth empowerment agenda. The training was hands-on where we learnt how to take an idea (with a focus on the New Born Units) and bring it to market by going through the process of designing an example product and simultaneously learn and experience what is needed to run this as a project with a winning team.
As Sandara Carey said ânever mistake knowledge for wisdom; one helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.â We need to move from a system that teaches students in learning critical life skills, on how to manage money, how to negotiate, or how to communicate and thrive, rather than how to memorize information and
regurgitate at the end of a semester.
REFERENCES
1. http://www.educationinnovations.org/blog/education-perspectives-kenyaachieving-inclusive-education
2. https://medium.com/the-mission/how-school-trains-us-to-fail-in-the-realworld-
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