According to a report by Human Rights Watch, an estimated half-a-million children with disabilities have been shut out of South Africa’s education system. The report found that children with disabilities face discriminatory physical and attitudinal barriers, often beginning early in children’s lives when government officials classify them according to their disabilities. The South African government has failed to guarantee the right to education for many of the country’s children and young adults due to widespread discrimination against children with disabilities in enrolment decisions.
Despite the government’s policy since 2001 to end the exclusion of children with disabilities from the country’s schools and to provide education for all children in inclusive schools, the majority of its already limited resources for learners with disabilities are used for special schools, to the detriment of inclusive education.
There remain significant barriers against learners with disabilities to access education in the mainstream, full service, and special schools.
This includes discrimination in admissions to schools; long distances and poor transportation; lack of teachers, and lack of expertise in inclusive education. Improving the quality of education for children with disabilities in South Africa requires a concerted effort from the government, educators, and society as a whole.
The government should allocate more resources to inclusive education and ensure that all children have equal access to quality education. Educators should receive training on disability rights and inclusive education, and society should work to eliminate the stigma and discrimination that children with disabilities face.