Botswana: South Region Education stakeholders, including Dr Boitumelo Mangope, have called for inclusive education programmes for intellectually challenged students. Students struggling with intellectual and learning disabilities need more support from educators for their success.
The education stakeholders believe that the inclusion of education programmes designed to support different learning speeds and methods would allow students to flourish. The ministry is thus hosting several initiatives to help the authorities understand inclusive education programmes.
The South Region of Botswana hosted a consultative stakeholder engagement workshop on Tuesday. The main aim of the initiative is to share the developed transition framework for social validation.
The Ministry of Education and Skill Development shared some glimpses from the event on their social media. The team is happy with the development that they are seeing in the introduction of the programmes.
Many stakeholders who were present at the workshop shared their views on why the new programmes are important. Senior Lecturer at the University of Botswana, Dr Boitumelo Mangope delivered a brief address at the workshop.
Dr Mangope explained how learners with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities are currently confined to specialised facilities. These facilities in primary schools have limited or no transition pathways to other educational institutions and or employment.
She said that the education stakeholders of the country have come together to create a framework. The programme has about six avenues to enhance learners’ chances of accessing other educational and employment opportunities available in Botswana.
Dr Mangope further said that the framework is based on the findings of a study guided by Kohler’s transition model. The study also has influences from some literature on the area of study. The study has already been shared with the stakeholders.
She said stakeholders in the South Region were allowed the opportunity to share their views on the framework as well as suggestions to improve the framework and make it more relevant and responsive to the Botswana context.
She added that there is a need for the formation of parental networks or support groups to share experiences as well as to know about available support services for their children and advocate for them through these networks.