Govt to take over special needs school in Mukono

In an effort to improve inclusive education, the government has taken over Hand In Hand Special Needs School at Kinusu Village in Mukono Municipality. This becomes the first government-owned school in the entire municipality and the second in the district after Salama School for the Blind.
Ms Loyce Taaka Odwori, the director of the school, said starting next year, the school will change its name to Mukono Municipal Council Special Needs Education Primary School to tap into aid that the government extends to needy pupils in other public schools. 

“We’ve entered into an agreement with Mukono Municipal Council on behalf of the government to extend enough support to children with special needs,” she said during the school’s Speech Day last Friday, where pupils performed in different activities including music, dance and drama.
Ms Odwori asked the government to fully equip the school with study materials such as braille, large print, tactile books, assistive devices and audiobooks.

“Our pupils still lack mandatory requirements to keep them in school simply because they come from humble backgrounds and many parents abandon them at school. So we ask the government to intervene and make good use of our facilities to enable them have a brighter future,” she said,   
The school head teacher, Ms Sylivia Nakalema Mukisa, noted that the pupil to teacher ratio has surpassed their capacity since pupils with disabilities have many issues that need attention. 

“Our enrollment has grown overtime. Currently, we have more than 100 pupils expecting more to join next year. Each teacher is expected to handle 10 pupils but current, each teacher manages 25 pupils, which is quite a bigger number compared to the unique challenges our pupils face,” she said. 
She also urged parents to feed their children well during the long holiday as many are on treatment for Arthritis and Down Syndrome, which calls for timely and proper feeding.

Ms Olivia Bulya, the Mukono Municipal Inspector of Schools, confirmed that a series of meetings have been held to finalise on the transition process and she’s optimistic that next term the school will be run by the government.
“Some Norwegians, who were funding the school were hit by the effects of Covid-19. Since we want continuity of services to the less privileged children, we found it necessary to take over management of the school,” she said. 
Additionally, Ms Faridah Nassolo, the Mukono Municipal Principal Education Officer, said efforts are underway to ensure that the school is coded to start receiving government support.

Hand In Hand Special Needs School started on February 18, 2003, with the aim of helping children with special needs acquire decent education. The school currently has an enrollment of 125 pupils.  Another school in Mukono enrolling children with special needs is Bishop West Boarding Primary School owned by Mukono Diocese.