UNIT 11 CHILDREN WHO ARE EDUCATIONALLY VULNERABLE
Key Unit Competence: Identify all other categories of learners with
different special educational needs, specify
their characteristics and impact on learning and
teaching
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY
Case study: Muhire
Muhire is a 11 years old boy. Since he was born, he did not know his father,
his mother died of breast cancer when he was 10 years. After the death of
his mother Muhire was taken to be cared for by his elder brother who is his
only sibling. Muhire’s brother earned an insufficient salary to satisfy all their
needs even though Muhire was attending a fee free Primary school, but there
were other needs that his brother was not able to satisfy. At 13 years Muhire
was enrolled into a secondary school. As Muhire had passion for school he
walked 12 km to school without school fees to pay but when he arrived at the
school, he was sent back home. Muhire’s sister in law (wife to his brother)
was unhappy to see Muhire coming to request from them money for school
fees and other school materials and not ready to support him. Muhire stayed
home for 6 months. Later a brilliant idea come to his mind, he went to nearest
sector office to raise his problems and leaders of the sector promised him to
pay for his secondary and university studies as is the government policy to
support vulnerable. Muhire went back to school and is now at his last year
as a medical student.
Tasks:
In groups
1. What problems did Muhire encounter after his primary education?2. How was Muhire’s problem solved?
11.1. Definition, categories and characteristics of children who
are educationally vulnerable
ACTIVITY 11.1
1. Who are children living under difficult circumstances?
2. According to you, what are some of the problems that may hinder
children from attending school?
Children are said to be vulnerable when their basic needs for food, shelter,
education, medical care, or protection and security are not met. This has
different factors including political, socio-cultural and economic and health
difficulties. Such children are at great risk of suffering malnutrition, disease
and possible death. Unless their own situation changes their conditions of gross
disadvantages will extend to their own children who may suffer even greater
misery and suffering.
Categories of children who are educationally vulnerable
Children living under especially difficult circumstances are classified into
twelves categories.
a. Street children: They are children who live or spend significant amount
of time on the streets of urban area to fend for themselves and/or their
families. Also include children who are inadequately protected, supervised
and cared for by responsible adults. There two main categories of street
children:
Children of streets: children of the streets are boys and girls who see
the street as their home. They may still have their families ties but
seek shelter, food and a sense of family among their companions on
the streets or they may have completely broken ties with their families
and literally live on streets. Often, they have been abandoned by their
parents, are orphans or runaways from neglected or abusive families.
Children on the streets: are those who still have family connections.
They live at home, often in more than shacks, sometimes even attend
school, but are sent to street by parents or go of their own accord tosupplement the family income.
Street children smoking cegarette
b. Abused and neglected children:
child abuse is any act or intention
to treat children badly by directly
or indirectly hurting them. It can
be physical and or psychological
violence. On the hand, child neglect
is rendering no care to children by
parents or caregivers. It is also a
failure to provide for the daily needs,
hence affecting the children’s social,
emotional and psychological status.
Other form of abuse and neglected
include: lack of affection, systematic
scolding and withdraw from
the school. Forced marriages may also interfere with their education. S/he
may be reluctant to say something because s/he may want to protect that
person or is afraid of what they will do if s/he speaks up. Sexually abused
children can be defined as those who have had sexual contacts or interactionsbetween them and other or more knowledgeable people.
c. Children who are traumatized:
a traumatic event involves a single
experience, or an enduring or repeating
event that may completely overwhelm
a child’s ability to cope or integrate the
ideas and emotions involved with that
experience.
d. Child mothers: Young girls who become pregnant and give birth at early
age hence assume the role of being a mother.
e. Child soldiers: A child associated with an armed force or armed group
refers to any person below 18 years of age who is, or who has been, recruited
or used by an armed force or armed group in any capacity, including but
not limited to children, boys and girls, used as fighters, cooks, porters,
spies or for sexual purposes. It does not refer to child who is taking, or has
taken, a direct in hostilities. Their enormous tasks undertaken by thesechildren affects theirs learning and emotional wellbeing.
Child soldiers
f. Children Heading Families:
Children who take up responsibilities
of parents as result of incapacitation or even death of their
parents. This could be due to wars, tribal clashes, displacementand others natural calamities.
g. Child labourer: It refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially or
morally dangerous and harmful to children, and interferes with their
schooling by depriving them of opportunities to attend the school. Child
labour is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood,
their potentials and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental
development. Term “child labour” is also referred to as employment of
children below adult age, which is considered illegal by law and custom.
But the stipulated age varies from country to country and government tomovement.
h. Children who are refugees and displaced: Those are children who
forces to leave their homes, often travelling the long distance to escape
enemy, fire and become the most vulnerable victims of violence, disease,
malnutrition and death.
i. Homeless and unaccompanied children: Children who are not in the
physical custody of a parent or guardian.
j. Orphaned children: Children who are bereaved for both mother and
father hence exposed to many challenges such as lack of basic needs, that is
food, shelter, and clothing. The death of both parents leads to deprivation
and feeling of insecurity. Their learning and development will be affected
since they have to fend themselves most of the time.
k. Children affected and infected by HIV/AIDS: Are children who are
infected and those from families affected by HIV/AIDS may be stigmatized
and suffer discrimination. Loosing on of their parents of family members
affect their emotions, physical and education. The lives of children who
may not have HIV themselves are affected when family members have HIV
and AIDS. Families face increased poverty and stress when adults are too
sick to continue with paid employment or farm their land. Mothers who
are ill find it difficult to take care for young children and young children
may end up caring for parents or young siblings.
l. Children living in family conflicts.
Characteristics of children who are educationally vulnerable
The characteristics are displayed in four ways:
• Physical characteristics:
• Cognitive characteristics
• Behavioural characteristics
• Socio-emotional characteristics
a. Physical characteristics
Those are physical event that may cause a child not to attend the class as
expected including: fractures, bruiser and welts, burns and scalds, head or
brain injuries, human bite marks.
b. Cognitive characteristics
They are drive and or mind-set that push a leaner to have a repeated absent in
school like Development delays in cognitive abilities, distractibility and poor
attention span, unrealistic expectation in life.
c. Behavioural characteristics
In behavioural characteristics include drug and alcohol misuse, abusive
behaviour and language, poor memory and concentration, suicidal behavioural,
truancy and running away from the school, etc.
d. Socio-emotional characteristics
Some characteristics are:self-harming behaviours such as head-banging,
persistent rocking, disturbed toileting behaviours, excessive hunger drives,
short attention span, excessive hunger drive, bizarre eating behaviours,
disrupted sleep behaviours.
SELF-ASSESSMENT 11.1
1. What are some of the factors that make children vulnerable and
what are the risks?
2. Discuss characteristics of children who are educationally
vulnerable?
3. Explain some examples of categories of children who are
educationally vulnerable.
11.2. Intervention strategies for children who are educationally
vulnerable
ACTIVITY 11.2
1. Suppose that you have children who are educationally vulnerable
in your class, how can you help them out of their vulnerability?
Children with different problems have the right to protection and participation
like all other children. Learners who are educationally vulnerable should be
helped in different ways at school by teachers or any others.
It is important for a teacher and others who work with those learners to bear
in mind that all children may not present the same challenges due to their
individual experiences.
Measures that teachers can keep in when taking care of venerable children:
• Exercise caution in assigning homework
• Be conscious of educational gaps of learners
• Be on the alert for mental health problems;
• Be attentive to other matters.
• Be vigilant of children who are streetwise or manipulative.
The way children are helped will depend on different factors including families,
parenting styles, environmental, literacy levels and economic status of the
parents among other.
The interventions and support are categorized into the following:
a. Crisis interventions: This is to offer short term or immediate support to
someone who experience the event that produces mental, physical and
emotional difficulties. Crisis happens to everyone and intervention may
take many forms. They are aimed at helping people to individually cope
with crisis in ways that it reduces the negative psychological, physical,
physiological and behavioural effects of trauma on that person and his/
her environment.
b. Improved family interventions: Family pay a very crucial role in a child’s
development and growth. A child learns much from a good family like
social role through interaction. This foster a sense of psychological and
emotional security necessary for the child’s growth and development.
Families are encouraged to create a conductive family environment for
health interactions.
c. Mobilization of the community: Various professionals, CSOs (civil
society organization) and NGO are mobilized to contribute in different
ways for example donations, trainings through workshops and seminars,
availability of communication and transport)
d. Government policy and interventions: The government has the
obligation to organize and have relevant policies in place to support
vulnerable children.
SELF-ASSESSMENT 11.2
1. Differentiate the Improved family intervention from crisis
intervention
SKILLS LAB
In your home community, identify a child who does not attend school.
Spend around two hours with the child. On two pages, discuss her/
his condition and locate the child in categories of children who are
educationally vulnerable, find out the effect of the current situation and
then propose the educational interventions for this child
END OF UNIT ASSESSMENT
a. Who is a vulnerable child ?
b. What some of the characteristics of learners who are educationally
vanerable in the following areas.
• Physical
• Cognitive
• Behavioural
• Socio-emotional
c. Discuss strategies to help children who are educationally
vulnerable.
d. Identify the categories of learners who are educationally
vulnerable
e. What can teachers do to help children who are educationally
vulnerable ?