Rédaction Africa Links 24 with lexpress
Published on 2024-03-21 02:45:00
The World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on March 21. Many children with Down syndrome are deprived of education.
Tendry, a 14-year-old child with Down syndrome, has been out of the school system for 3 years. “We enrolled him in the inclusive public school in Ambohidroa before. I couldn’t work at the time because half of my day was dedicated to taking him to school and bringing him back home. This school was too far from our home,” said Ranaivo, the father of this teenager who lives in Itaosy, yesterday. Since then, his parents have been trying to re-enroll him, but in vain. “We tried to enroll him in a public school in the neighborhood. The director of this school made it clear to us that it is impossible. He said that firstly, it would disturb the other ‘normal’ students. And secondly, he did not receive training to care for children with Down syndrome,” lamented this father.
They also crave a specialized school for their son, but it is well beyond their means. “The tuition fees for a specialized institution we inquired about are 80,000 ariary per month. That is beyond our reach. I work in masonry and my income is not stable,” he explained.
Inclusion
Educating children with Down syndrome is a real headache for parents. They face either stigmatization or the high cost of tuition fees. “Not all children with Down syndrome can follow a normal educational path. And in specialized centers, tuition fees are expensive. They range from 100,000 ariary to 250,000 ariary,” said Daniella Laza Razafinjatovo, president of the Down Syndrome Madagascar association. As a result, many people with Down syndrome do not enjoy their right to education. Down Syndrome Madagascar is driven by young people who implement projects aimed at the inclusion of people with Down syndrome in society. They are convinced of the need for education, mainstream schooling, and access to pre-vocational training for people with Down syndrome to achieve this goal.
On this day, March 21, dedicated to World Down Syndrome Day, the theme of the celebration is “Ending stereotypes.” In recent years, the Ministry of National Education has intensified its efforts in inclusive education to make primary public education mandatory, equal, and non-discriminatory. However, more than a million children are still excluded from the education system. And children with disabilities are the most marginalized.
Miangaly Ralitera
Read the original article(French) on lexpress.mg
