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Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Sure Prospects
Today we visited Sure Prospects Institute, which is an inclusive school that integrates both disabled and abled children. It exists because many public schools do not have the resources to meet the needs of disabled children or because their parents do not want them going to a special needs school where they will only socialize with special needs children. Currently, there are 480 students, 210 of whom are disabled. The Institute often works with the Ministry of Education to make test taking easier for children with disabilities, such as allowing oral exams or braille exams. The Institute is always working to overcome any obstacles the children face in order to improve education for all. Furthermore, the Institute also has several disabled staff that serve as role models to the children. At the Institute, we played with the children and gave them gifts, like candy and stickers. We were also able to visit the classrooms and the dormitories to see what they were like. At the end, the children put on a very special dance performance and we said our goodbyes. The Institute faces many challenges, including space, machines, and transportation. They also face various challenges that are intangible. Many parents give up easily if they do not see their children making progress, or they do not even educate their children in the first place because there is still the belief that the disabled are "mad" or "cursed." Many children, especially those from war zone areas, face serious trauma. Yet, despite these challenges, Sure Prospects Institute stands as a revolutionary model in Uganda for inclusionary education and is making progress in changing current beliefs and systems.
Questions:
1. What comparisons do you see between Uganda and the U.S in terms of special needs education? What can Uganda learn from the U.S? What can the U.S learn from Sure Prospects?
2. What challenges do you think these children will face beyond Prospects? In what ways can Uganda assure that they can continue to be successful after they leave primary school?
3. Considering all of the challenges that Uganda faces, how soon do you think it will be before institutes like Sure Prospects becomes the norm? What will it take for that kind of change to occur?
4. The topic of affirmative action has been a common issue during the trip. The disabled is one minority group that must be represented in Parliament. Do you think this is sufficient for the changes need? Do you think it is a policy that the U.S should adopt?
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I found Sure Prospects very fun as well! The students and staff were so welcoming to us! I have always attended my local public school which has an integrated model for students with disabilities. Because of this experience, it has never occurred to me that disabled students would be educated separately. I am glad to see that disabilities don't stop the students at Sure Prospects from pursuing an education. Additionally, I think it is very good for all of the students at Sure Prospects to see everyone as equal. It is important for students to see similarities instead of differences in everyone they meet. To address the question of affirmative action in Parliament, I do not believe that this model would work in the United States. The US has a longer history of democracy and has strong lobbying and special interest groups. Additionally, our constitution does not call for affirmative action representation.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed visiting Sure Prospects and interacting with the kids. I think it may be challenging for some of the special needs kids to continue on in education considering the lack of special needs secondary schools, especially if the kids are from rural areas. I do think that it may be a while before schools similar to Sure Prospects become the norm, especially because of the stigma that people place on disabled people.
ReplyDeleteI was extremely eager to visit Sure Prospects because of its unique structure and fun atmosphere. The visit did not disappoint as I was able to spend time and giggle with children and from a completely different culture than me. My biggest concern with this school was a fear of bullying, so I was overjoyed to hear that the students are extra kind and helpful to those students with physical and intellectual disabilities. From a healthcare perspective, I was also enlightened. In America, patients with disabilities rights are often overlooked and they are not always provided with the best care and resources they deserve. Sure prospects however, gives students the aide and support they need in order to be both successful and healthy. They psychological support can have incredible impact on someone with a mental or physical disability. Therefore, even though Uganda's healthcare system the 7th worst in the world, it is encouraging to know that a place like Sure Prospects exists.
ReplyDeleteI was very pleased with the visit to SURE Prospects. I thought that the governmental policies around the disabled were interesting because they noticed that they were there but did not provide support for physical things such as desks or papers. Policies that were made were uplifting such as giving those who are disabled more time on tests. It was nice to see that the disabled kids are integrated with all of the other kids allowing everyone to learn and adapt together. In the United States the disabled kids are often taken out of regular classes to go into separate groups which sometimes makes them feel left out because they will be learning in a different environment and are not always with their classmates. It is cool to see all of the students learning together in all of the grades. In one of the classrooms we went into, we saw a boy who was blind walk to his desk and received help from his classmates. It was influential and inspiring to see schools like this in Uganda.
ReplyDeleteChallenges some may face is being discriminated against by others that are not taught to be as understanding and excepting of the differences to others in the community. They may also face issues of accommodations of disabilities in classrooms in other schools and decline the quality of the education they receive.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed going to Sure Prospects. In fact, Katie and I were able to interview some of the staff there and they told us specifically about some of the challenges they face. I think that for the children and more specifically for the disabled children, entering the workforce will be a challenge on its own due to the Ugandan economy being on a downward slope. One of the teachers we interviewed mentioned how students need technology skills but Sure Prospects does not have enough computers for all of them to use. I would think that integrated schools like Sure Prospects may take a while for them to become continuously recognized, especially because Sure Prospects is in such a rural area. There will need to be similar schools in the cities in order for increased recognition.
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