The government has strengthened efforts to ensure children with special needs access inclusive education, and parents are urged to send their children to school without delay.
Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Adolf Mkenda, made the call during a ceremony in Dodoma to launch and distribute vehicles, digital learning tools, and assistive devices for teachers working with students with disabilities.
The equipment, valued at TZS 6.2 billion, is aimed at supporting both special education and mainstream classrooms.
Prof. Mkenda said the government has established policies allowing children with significant learning challenges to be taught at home by trained teachers.
For those requiring classroom assistants, the government will cover the cost to ensure no child misses out on education due to disability.
“Every child has the right to learn. No student should be denied education because of a disability,” Prof. Mkenda emphasized.
In the past, children with special needs were often separated from their peers in dedicated units. The government has now adopted an inclusive education system that allows these students to learn alongside others.
Assistive devices, including hearing aids, mobility supports, and Braille books, are provided to help them fully participate in lessons and achieve academically.
All textbooks, from primary to secondary level, will also be printed in Braille to remove barriers for students with low vision or blindness.
The minister urged education quality controllers to regularly monitor schools, identify challenges early, and address them before issues are amplified on social media.
He stressed the importance of reporting problems to council directors, the Ministry of Education, and TAMISEMI for timely solutions.
Prof. Mkenda criticized schools where teachers and students share a single toilet, describing it as negligence by local authorities.
He said councils should provide basic infrastructure, including proper sanitation, except in cases of zero revenue.
Parents and guardians of children with disabilities were encouraged to bring them to government offices or relevant officials to receive support for education, with the assurance that the government will cover schooling costs.
The minister concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to inclusive education, urging quality controllers to conduct household visits to identify children with disabilities and ensure their enrollment and participation in school.