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Students with disabilities most disadvantaged in Malawi, study finds

African School boy in class
Photo: Dreamstime

ActionAid has conducted a study with its partners has found that children with disabilities are among the most disadvantaged in Malawi’s education sector.

The study titled – “Bedrock of Inclusion: Why Investing in the Education Workforce is Critical to the Delivery of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4” was also done in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania to discover the extent to which current levels of investment in teachers and education workforce development allow for the disability-inclusive education.

The Malawi report was launched on December 3 in the Capital, Lilongwe–an event that coincided with the International Day of Persons With Disabilities commemoration.

According to the report, out of the 612749 children with disabilities in Malawi, only 3.3 percent and 2.5 percent makeup enrollments in primary and secondary school, and 70% of children with disabilities remain out of school.

The report says this is retrogressive in achieving SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

ActionAid conducted the study in the five African countries in partnership with Education International, Light for the World, and the International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation (ICDR) at the University of Toronto, Canada.

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