Inclusive Education : Gov’t, Partners Evaluate Effectiveness

When moving around various streets in the country, one quickly notices structures on which is written “Inclusive School.” In a bid to ensure that these schools meet the objectives for which they were created, members of the committee for the Rehabilitation and Socio-Economic Reintegration of persons with Disabilities (CONRHA 2023), met in Yaounde on September 13, 2023, to know how these schools operate, the challenges and prospects in the context of promoting an inclusive education in the country. This was during the 2023 ordinary session of the national committee of CONRHA opened by the Minister of Social Affairs, Pauline Iréne Nguene, in the presence of other members of government. 
The Minister of Social Affairs said, it is worth considering the underlying challenges and the most appropriate prospects for strengthening inclusive education, which requires that people send children to school, even when they are severely handicapped as a result of life's contingencies. Noting that education is a fundamental human right, an essential tool for lifting people out of poverty and reducing social inequalities, Pauline Iréne Nguene hoped that the workshop clearly identifies the various bottlenecks that continue to hamper the momentum generated at strategic level in the implementation of inclusive education in the country. This is to ensure that all social, economic and political development initiatives effectively incorporate the disability approach and that persons with disabilities feel more taken into account with full equality and dignity.
The Director for the Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Maurine Ndengho Abongho explained that inclusive education is an ongoing process and there is the political will to promote an inclusive society in Cameroon. So far, there are 70 pilot inclusive schools in the country. Through discus...