Pledges Inclusive Education for Students with Special Needs

The Mwalimu Nyerere University of Agriculture and Technology (MNUAT) has indicated its readiness to admit students with special needs and provide them with all the necessary support they will need to achieve their educational goals.

This statement was made by Dr. Joel Matiku, a lecturer at MNUAT and a Special Needs and Inclusive Education Focal Person for the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) project, during the workshop for MNUAT staff regarding the Handling and Interacting with People with Special Needs for Inclusive University Education that commenced yesterday on 1st July 2024 in Musoma district.

Dr. Matiku further emphasized that MNUAT has conducive learning environments and suitable infrastructures that are friendly to people with special needs.

"All students who wish to join MNUAT are welcome. Our learning environments are excellent and our infrastructures are built in a conducive and friendly manner to accomodate people with special needs. Therefore, we expect them to apply to our university and we will handle well their needs," Dr. Matiku stressed.

Dr. Joel Matiku highlighted that the training is crucial for MNUAT staff because MNUAT is expecting to admit many students with varying needs.

"As a university, we expect to admit many students with special needs. Therefore, as we train our MNUAT staff, we expect them to be able to assist the admitted students with special needs to learn without discrimination," added Dr. Matiku.

Furthermore, MNUAT lecturer Dr. Erasto Focus expressed his delight on the training that aimed at eliminating barriers and promoting inclusive education.

"We are very pleased to learn about people with special needs and how we can assist them in attaining their university education. Through this training, we are going to make MNUAT a unique university, which is capable of serving people with special needs," explained Dr. Focus.

The four-day training is being conducted under the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) project, which has enabled the university to secure 102.3 billion Tanzanian Shillings for the construction of infrastructures, updating and developing curricula and introducing innovative pedagogical methodologies, building functional linkages with private sectors/industries, strengthening use of digital technology, and building capacity of academic staff and university leadership.