Lerule-Ramakhanya announces Inclusive Education for Limpopo Special Schools

Limpopo

The Limpopo Department of Health (LDoH) MEC, Mavhungu Lerule Ramakhanya, has on Monday 22 April officially launched Inclusive Education for all Special Schools in the province. The launch follows a proclamation made by Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, proclaiming 2024 as the year of Inclusive Education.

Currently, Limpopo Province has 35 Special Schools with three of them based in Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM). They are Bosese Special School in Monsterlus, Ipelegeng Special School in Tafelkop and Jane Furse Special School.

Lerule-Ramakhanya said the right of every child to access quality education is enshrined in South Africa’s constitution and the Department of Education has paid specific attention to how children with barriers to learning, including disabilities may be assessed to determine the levels of support needed to maximize opportunities for success in mainstream classrooms.

“Inclusive Education is the need to celebrate diversity among our learners and encourages the creation of welcoming cultures in schools and ensuring participation of all learners so that they are all valued and they are all made to feel they belong,” she said.

The MEC committed that by 2030, the name “Special School”, will be a thing of the past as every learner will get to attend the school of their choice.

“Up to so far, the department has managed to train over 500 educators, preparing them for this Inclusion Education. The Inclusive Education System aims to close all the gaps of marginalisation in the provision of education during the pre-1994 era. Learners with barriers to learning were either not supported, given irrelevant support, or referred for admission at Special Schools without outlining their support needs. This resulted in some learners dropping out of school, others being admitted in the wrong Special Schools or progressed indiscriminately,” explained Lerule-Ramakhanya.

Additionally, the MEC said Inclusive Education intended to support those dedicated teachers who work to create inclusive educational environments in which all learners who can attain knowledge, skills, attitude and values that will better their lives.

“I encourage parents and guardians to take their children to special schools as the schools are fit and capacitated to care for the learners. I also plead to communities to take time to support and understand learners with disabilities. To show that these learners are not different, for the past five years in the Grade 12 result learners with special education needs have been performing very well,” she said.

Tshilwavhusiku is one of the schools that should have special clinical and psychological support. 

“All schools should implement Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) policy, whether public ordinary schools, Full-Service Schools, Special Schools, and Independent Schools. No Learner is left behind, that is what “Every Learner Matters” means,” said Lerule-Ramakhanya.