Morocco to improve education for disabled children

15/03/2007

In Morocco, most children with disabilities do not have access to basic education programmes. To combat the problem, the government has crafted a five-year plan to provide primary education to this vulnerable sector of Moroccan society.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat -- 15/03/07

[Sarah Touahri] The Ministry of Education currently runs 185 classes for disabled children in public schools at 48 sites, serving a total of 2,093 pupils.

A recent survey of people with disabilities in Morocco has prompted the government to take action against problems in public education.

Jamal Khellaf, director of School Affairs, Co-ordination and Interdisciplinary Studies at the Ministry of Education, told Magharebia that increasing demand is putting unnecessary strain on educational services for disabled children. Only 74,730 disabled children -- 30% of the estimated total -- between the ages of 4 and 15 are enrolled in schools.

The Ministry of Education currently runs 185 classes for disabled children in public schools at 48 sites, serving a total of 2,093 pupils. According to the Secretariat of State for the Disabled, there is a shortage of seats in these classes and the programmes that do exist are concentrated in major cities.

As a result, the government has drafted an action plan for 2007-2012 to improve education for disabled children in the first three grades. The new programme will tackle social stigma and exclusion faced by children with disabilities, and will give them greater contact with society.

Khellaf said the priority areas are school design, teacher numbers, communication and assessment methods, and family support. He explained that the skills of disabled children must be enhanced, to empower or rehabilitate them, and to aid them in becoming active citizens in the future.

To assess the current school situation, the Ministry of Education plans to make a list of existing classes and identify requirements for facilities and access, and list existing equipment, teaching materials and human resources. It will then train teachers in alternative approaches to education.

Khellaf also said that the state is planning to create 247 classes for disabled children within ordinary schools, including 176 for mentally handicapped children and 71 for hearing-impaired children. Each of these classes will be aimed at a specific geographical area and socioeconomic and cultural group. It is expected that demand will be particularly great in areas where regional, social and economic inequalities are most distinct.

Prior to the launch of the classes, campaigns will be conducted to raise the awareness of all parties concerned.

The action plan was drawn up on the basis of data collected through the national disability survey carried out by the Secretariat of State for the Family, Childhood and the Disabled. The study showed that the disability rate in Morocco is 5.1%, or 1,530,000 people, while in the under-15 age group it is 2.5%, or 230,000 children.