The Uganda National Examination Board’s (UNEB) senior examinations officer, Daniel Alenyo, has revealed that examination enrollment for people with disabilities (PWDs) has increased.

“The number of enrollment for PWDs this year has gone up to 3400 from the 2426 candidates with special needs we had last year.” Alenyo said.

In 2022 Primary Leaving Examinations, 2436 candidates sat for their exams; 721 sat for the UCE and 243 sat for UACE.

Alenyo explained that the enrollment by gender at the Silver Spring Hotel in Bugolobi during the 2nd National Inclusive Education Symposium was: PLE 1283 male, 1153 female, UCE male 389 female 332 and UACE male and female 120

Basing her comments on this year’s theme “Inclusive Education: A Journey To Sustainable Development,” our source who preferred anonymity, said that the rise in UNEB enrollment is not a sign that PWDs are getting quality inclusive education

“Quality Inclusive Education is when all students have access to and fully participate in learning supported by reasonable adjustments teaching strategies tailored to their individual needs,” according to the source.

Dr. Njuki Eria Paul, a dyslexia specialist, noted that there are still several barriers that need to be fixed despite the increase in UNEB enrollment.

“Children with extreme disabilities are still denied admission to schools; he is giving an example of himself as a PWD school owner,” Njuki said.

He notes that it is only this year, in my 10 years of running a PWD school, that I can now accept a child with severe autism.

“School owners always fear handling the extreme difficulties that come with such students,” Njuki said

He went on to say that all people can survive in an inclusive environment as long as the child’s condition is managed most tactically.

Njuki urged the sector players to be inclusive while providing education since inclusion is a rights issue.