Many Special Needs Learners Still Not Placed at Schools

**By Mary-Anne Gontsana | 5 June 2024**

The Centre for Child Law reported to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that about 500,000 to 600,000 disabled learners in South Africa are not attending school. This issue highlights significant gaps in the educational system for children with disabilities.

In the Western Cape, over 34,000 learners with special education needs attend schools, but many parents still struggle to secure placements. The Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) provides 75 special schools and 173 mainstream schools for special needs learners, but demand exceeds availability.

Phumeza Hulushe from Khayelitsha shares that her 16-year-old son, a slow learner, is repeating grade 7 for the second time while awaiting placement at a school of skills. Similarly, Sibongile Mbebe struggles to find suitable education for her autistic four-year-old son, as private school fees are unaffordable.

These challenges led Hulushe, Mbebe, and others to picket outside Parliament in May, organized by Freedom to the Forgotten, a disability rights group. They demand better support for children with disabilities, covering education, housing, employment, and essential services.

WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond notes efforts to support physically disabled and cerebral palsy learners but acknowledges the lack of a consolidated waiting list. In his March 2024 budget speech, provincial MEC for Education David Maynier announced an additional R71.4-million for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) support, along with new and expanded special needs schools.

The Centre for Child Law emphasizes the fragmented and outdated legislative framework for disabled children’s education. With many learners on long waiting lists, some age out of the education system without ever being placed. This situation calls for a more effective approach to ensure all children with disabilities receive the education they deserve.

source: groundup.org