All new schools that are being built by the current South African Government should be accessible to children with disabilities as required by the new National School Infrastructure Norms, says Minister for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya.
Mayende-Sibiya was speaking at the United Nations’ Third Conference of Parties on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities taking place in New York from 1 to 3 September. Mayende-Sibiya who is serving as the Vice President of this Conference, made the statement when she was chairing the round-table discussion on Inclusion and the Rights to Education
Mayende-Sibiya said South Africa is committed to ensuring the full enjoyment of all human rights including the right to education by children with disabilities on an equal basis with other children.
She told the conference that the right of children with disabilities to express their views freely on all matters affecting them is recognised by the South African Schools Act. The Act protects their right to be represented, where appropriate, in School Governing Bodies and Learner Representative Councils. Children with disabilities also have a right to engage with education policy decisions affecting them.
“Inclusive education policy is being implemented on an incremental basis. The main aim of the programme is to introduce a number of systemic measures which would lay the foundation for a system wide implementation of the policy of Inclusive Education in South Africa,” said Minister Mayende-Sibiya.
In piloting the policy, 30 mainstream schools were selected for conversion into full-service schools to serve as models of full inclusivity. Another 34 special schools were selected for upgrading and conversion into resource centres to support the mainstream schools. District-based support teams were established and trained to provide support services in an integrated way, thus maximising existing services through coordination and inter-sectoral collaboration.
“These key systemic measures to build a single, inclusive system are accompanied by a public advocacy campaign aimed at laying the foundation for a system wide implementation of the policy of Inclusive Education in South Africa,” said Minister Mayende-Sibiya.
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