Realizing the Promise of Education
for Children With Disabilities
“Education for all” is a framework that aims to meet the learning needs of all children. Unfortunately, it is still a myth for many children in Rwanda, where it’s estimated that a child who lives with a disability is four times more likely to drop out of school than one without disability. Many more do not even begin to attend school in the first place.
Discrimination against people living with disabilities is not uncommon. Dushimimana, pictured here, grew up in a village in the northern part of Rwanda. He has a movement impairment disability, and for a large portion of his life, he has been hidden by his parents from the rest of his community. Because he was not given the freedom to interact with other kids in his neighborhood, he grew up feeling that he was not a normal child and would never be accepted; he grew up being stigmatized for his disability.
At the age of 12, Dushimimana started to attend primary school, thanks to the efforts of a local organization that advocates for people with disabilities. This same organization was also able to raise money for the materials he needed. Limited financial resources and a long distance to the closest school were factors that contributed to Dushimimana’s tardy access to education, but the major hindrance factors were his family and the community’s perception of children with disabilities.
They are many children living with disabilities who have similar stories to Dushimimana’s. In Rwanda, official policies designate access to education as a right for all children. This is thanks to the 12 year basic education program, which aims to provide all children with the equivalent of primary and secondary school education for free. Yet, for children with disabilities, this promise remains unfulfilled. Although the government covers school fees, expenses related to uniforms and books are not covered.
In rural communities of Rwanda and other low and middle-income countries, having a child with a disability was (and is still) considered a curse or shame to the family. Families often do everything possible to hide children with disabilities and do not invest in their education or future. This is especially common in communities where parents did not attend school. A parent’s lack of formal education and their cultural beliefs affect their perceptions of their children’s disabilities. In these underserved communities that still stigmatize people living with disabilities, parents are reluctant to pay for these related expenses given limited funds. This is why for Dushimimana and other children living with disabilities, few educational opportunities exist.
I aspire to build a world where children’s lives are not defined by their physical differences — a world where all children attend school and live a fulfilled life.
Education does not start and end in school — it takes a whole community to educate a child. A community might not be teaching children how to count, read, or write, but their support is key in overcoming the many barriers that impede children from going to school. Without their encouragement, most of us would not be where we are now. But if the right to an education is a fundamental human right, why are children with disabilities not benefiting from it?
I aspire to build a world where children’s lives are not defined by their physical differences — a world where all children attend school and live a fulfilled life. As Senator Bernie Sanders said, “Education should be a right, not a privilege.”
Elyse Sandrine Ishimirwe is a 2016–2017 Global Health Corps fellow at University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda.
