Basic education should be free and accessible to all children including
including children with disabilities.
But in South Africa more than half a million children with disabilities
continue to be left out of the mainstream education system.
We have dealt with several cases that had to do with violation
of our right to education of disabled children
and these ranges for instance from cases where
children with disabilities were refused admission to mainstream schools
because of their disability.
Gift is not in school.
I don't know why they are not taking him
because I've registered him in 2013, and they promised me that they're going to call me
when they have space.
And then early 2014 I went back to school
to ask how far is the process of taking my son to school.
They said no mama we still don't have space for you.
Meanwhile my child is at home he's been more delayed.
I don't know when he's he's in school how is he going to cope.
Children with disabilities should have an equal opportunity
to go to their local school and have teachers who are trained to teach them
along with others with or without disabilities.
They should be able to have accommodations in the classroom
to support their needs so that they can learn with their peers.
Frankly this is not the case in South Africa.
We don't have enough schools.
There are normal schools and they don't accept our children.
So special schools there around town and we are far from town.
Parents are left with no choice but to seek some kind of education for their children so they go to specialized schools.
Lesley is an 11 year old who has spina bifida.
His mother applied to nine different special schools before finally getting accepted to one.
Unfortunately that school is far away and charges a fee.
Since Lesley started at school,
we're supposed to wake up early in the morning, four o'clock every day.
It's not easy for us and our children to get at school.
It takes one hour going to school, each and every day.
The transport is 400 [$32] each and every month
if you have got a children with disability;
the school is too far, the school fees is higher, and we can't afford that money.
The rule as we all agree should be that children with disabilities
should go to mainstream schools.
Inclusive education is an environment in mainstream schools
where children with and without disabilities can learn together.
Nykallo, what is the first shape? What is this shape?
Triangle.
Triangle. Well done.
Nykallo has Down Syndrome.
He's a bit slower learner than the others
but he's coping very well in class.
He does the same work, just a little bit easier.
It's adapted for him.
We teach them at a younger age —
they are part, they are normal.
They can do whatever they want.
If they set their mind to it they can do it.
Ready? Go!
There are educational benefits to putting kids with without disabilities together.
All children can adapt to different types of students in the classroom.
They can learn about diversity,
but that is not happening in the case of hundreds of thousands of children
with disabilities in South Africa.
Inclusive education is right it's not a privilege.
And investing in schools that include children with disabilities
means that they'll learn basic life skills
that they learn be able to be independent
and in the long term leads to a more inclusive and accepting community.