The Zambian Network of Youths living with Disabilities (ZNYS) has strongly dispelled assertions that the ministry of education and the Examining Council of Zambia has neglected learners with special education needs sitting for examinations.
This follows allegations by a named federation that the Zambia education sector and the examining body were mishandling students with special needs by not giving them special attention in handling their examination answer scripts.
ZNYS Secretary General Cornelius Chitukwa who is also Luanshya District Education Standards Officer for Special Education said government had in the recent past effected numerous strides to better the handling of examinations for learners with special needs.
“On the contrary, the ministry of general education and the ECZ through circular No. ECZ/101/1/9 had come up with innovations to better the management and administration of examinations for the special education learners” Mr. Chitukwa said.
He indicated that other strides included coming up with different color codes of Temper Evident envelopes and specialized markers for various categories of disabilities.
He explained that scripts for visually impaired are packed in dark blue envelopes, while those for hearing impaired are Orange while scripts for physically impaired students are packed in brown envelopes”.
Mr. Chitukwa said the different Tempered color codes for examination scripts were further accompanied by separate registers indicating the names of the special needs students.
He noted that the examination scripts were also marked by trained and qualified special markers at the marking centers.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chitukwa disclosed that Luanshya district has enrolled a total of 40 special needs students sitting for examinations this year.
He stated that the 49 students were drawn from Dagama School for the physically challenged and Mpelembe secondary school special education unit.
Mr. Chitukwa indicated that the 36 students were physically challenged who included 9 students sitting for grade 12, 12 candidates sitting for grade 9, and 15 students sitting for grade 7 examinations respectively.
He said the other four candidates were hearing impaired students from Morlemve Secondary school all sitting for their grade 12 examinations.
Blame those idlots in upnd who sabotaged bill 10 which would have secured more rights for disabled