Increase funds for special needs students, state urged

The Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers has called on the Education ministry to increase funds for special needs students.

KUSNET secretary general James Torome said the union is focused in service delivery for special needs teachers as well as students.

He made the remarks during the union elections in Narok town after retaining his seat unopposed over the weekend.

“I call upon the Ministry of Education to ensure that students are provided with proper infrastructure to have easy access to classrooms and other amenities within their schools,” said Torome.

He said the government has already allocated funds for infrastructure in schools and no one should misappropriate the money for special groups.

The secretary general further called on union members to hold their horses concerning their Collective Bargaining Agreement, insisting that the union will make a major announcement on July 1.

Early this month, KUSNET signed recognition agreement with Teachers Service Commission in Naivasha.

An estimated 4,000 tutors with special needs, some of whom were in Kuppet and Knut, have since decamped to KUSNET.

He noted that the union has a membership of over 9,000 teachers and is targeting 18,000.

Moses Kendagor, a special needs teacher, asked the government to look into the plight of blind students who use braille.

Charity Machocho, a trustee of KUSNET, stated that special need students face a myriad of challenges, pointing out that more resources should be channeled to special needs education.

Edited by Henry Makori