05 Dec 2024

Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education is committed to ensuring that all children, regardless of their physical or intellectual challenges, are afforded the opportunity to receive quality education.

This was said by the Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Dr Nono Kgafela-Mokoka when delivering a keynote address at Mochudi Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired graduation ceremony and open day in Mochudi on Tuesday.

Dr Kgafela-Mokoka said education was important for all children as it unlocked their potential.

To this end, she said the Mochudi Resource Center was an important stakeholder in ensuring that children with disability were supported with necessary tools in order to succeed.

She said from specialised teachers and support staff to the introduction of assistive technologies and adaptive learning tools, every effort was designed to ensure that every child was given the tools to succeed.

“Whether a child has a visual impairment, a hearing impairment, or any other form of disability, they deserve the same opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed. This is the foundation upon which our commitment to inclusive education rests,” she said.

She further called for training and support of teachers and guardians who worked with children with disabilities.

Dr Kgafela-Mokoka said it was essential that those who were responsible for educating and caring for these children were equipped with the skills, knowledge, and resources to understand their unique needs and to create an environment where they would feel safe, valued, and capable of thriving.

In that regard, she said training of teachers must be prioritised to ensure that educators have a deep understanding of different types of disabilities, including visual impairments, and the strategies that could help children succeed in the classroom.

“We must invest in continuous professional development to ensure that educators are confident and competent in addressing the diverse needs of all learners,” she said.

For her part, Director of Learner Support Services Ms Kebabonye Maripe emphasised the importance of identifying the children’s needs such that the services offered were structured to enable them overcome barriers.

She said the primary modality of learning was the sensory pathways and that if one of them was dysfunctional, they were bound to experience challenges in trying to navigate their environments.

“Structured early childhood programmes stimulate their brain development,” she stressed.

Ms Maripe commended the Mochudi Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired for strengthening early learning.

Director for Mochudi Resource Centre, Ms Tebogo Menyatso for the Visually Impaired commended the donors who have been sustaining the centre.

She said their assistance has come a long way in helping them achieve the centre’s objectives.

A total of 12 preschool students graduated while eight primary school leavers were bid farewell as they transitioned to secondary school. Ends