25 Nov 2013

Deputy permanent secretary in Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Mr Kgopotso Ramoroka has appealed to the nation to help government in tackling the challenges faced by people living with disability (PWDs).

He commended government for approving the Inclusive Special Policy which provided people living with disability access to high quality education. Mr Ramoroka said this at the commemoration of disability day at Bonewamang Primary School in Molepolole.

He said the Ministry of Education and Skills Development had also completed the draft on National Disability Policy and that a group of officials from the ministry had been assigned go around the country to do disability assessment.

“There is a list of more than 1 000 children waiting for the disability assessment,” Mr Ramoroka said. Teachers were advised to know their students better because it hurt as a teacher to have a student failing but not knowing the cause.

In an interview, Bonewamang Primary School head teacher, Mr Victor Radikgobati said the school had 57 disabled pupils and they had no proper facilities to cater for such students.

He cited lack of transport and inadequate gymnastic machines as some of the challenges they faced, adding that special students sometime missed school because the council mini bus did not come.

In Serowe, Leungo Rakgati reports that the Serowe principal assistant district commissioner, Mr Onalenna Daniel said there was need to promote rights and opportunities for people living with disability.

Speaking during Tshidilo Rehabilitation Centre’ National Disability day in Serowe on Saturday, November 23, Mr Daniel said people living with disability should be awarded job opportunities to improve their skills and abilities. He noted that the commemoration of the international day of persons living with disability provides an opportunity to address issues focusing on promoting accessibility and removing all types of barriers in the society.

The district commissioner said in some parts of the world today, lack of awareness and understanding of accessibility remains an obstacle to the achievement of progress and development through the Millennium Development Goals.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) recognises that the existence of barriers constitute a central component of disability, he said.  ENDS