Uganda inclusive education project

Inclusive education is changing the future for children with disabilities across Uganda.

A unique project, focused on teacher training, has helped to create sustainable change and support children with disabilities to realise their potential. This forms part of the Ugandan government’s ambition to ensure that all children with disabilities are taught by teachers who are trained in inclusive education.

In 2021, working alongside the Ministry of Education and Sports, Kyambogo University, and multiple non-governmental organisations across Uganda, Sightsavers supported the development of a continuous professional development (CPD) package for teachers on inclusive education.

The CPD package includes both theory-based and practical activities designed to build teachers’ confidence, knowledge and skills in identifying and supporting learners with diverse needs. It focuses on primary schools, though the materials have also been adapted for use in secondary schools and refugee settings.

The package has been immensely successful and is now approved for national use across all levels of teacher training and professional development. It’s being rolled out across 40 districts in the Eastern Region of Uganda, targeting district education officers in charge of special educational needs, centre coordination tutors, headteachers and teachers, as well as students with disabilities and their families.

Sightsavers is also working with the government to support community engagement by working with school management committees and parent and teacher associations, as well as advocating for a national inclusive and special needs policy.