The ideas of what was called mainstreaming and now, inclusion
are still relatively new in public schools in Tanzania. We didn’t grow up with
special needs children sitting in our classes.
We used to teach by using rigid methods, discriminatory assessment
modes; and those who deemed to have special needs were considered incapable,
and above all, these children were experienced as strangers in our classrooms. We
now have in our country different specialists in the field of education such as
speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and in general,
the special education teachers. Let us be strategic to the desired goals of
inclusive settings in education, let us find the ways which will ensure that no
child with special needs is left behind for being disabled.
The major argument here is that, things have changed; the
world is exposed to different assistive technology, there are plenty of
experts, there are possibilities, the human rights and dignity applies. The children with disabilities have to be
educated as we do expect from them to contribute to the national developments
of various affairs.
Let us think and act inclusively to create a new generation of an inclusive society in our country!
