Children w ith Special Learning Needs in Schools 12,000 10,000 8,000 Male 6,000 Female 4,000 Total 2,000 0 2001 2002 3003 2004 Government has a programme where teachers are trained to cater for children with special needs through the Uganda National Institute for Special Needs Education (UNISE). The districts have set up resource centres where teachers are trained to care for such categories of children. In addition wheel chair support, Braille materials, and facilitators for special needs education have been provided to selected schools. The Community Development Department is responsible for construction of ramps in schools and public places through their rehabilitation offices located at district level. 8.1.6 Alternative Strategies for Provision of Basic Education Three specific alternative programmes with flexible approach and curriculum for alternative education are worth mentioning: the Complementary Opportunity for Primary Education (COPE) in Kamuli and other lake shore districts; the Alternative Basic Education for Karamoja (ABEK); and Basic Education for Urban Poor Areas (BEUPA). COPE targets children who have never attended school or have dropped out of school before acquiring basic skills. Learning time is flexible and takes between 3 to 4 hours per day. The programme is running in four selected districts across the country. Current beneficiaries of ABEK are children and adolescents in the nomadic society in Karamoja region. The programme focuses on simple numeracy and literacy skills. Though the children access some form of education, efforts should be made to covert these into quality education. 8.1.7 Early Childhood Development (ECD) About 5.7 million children (26.5 per cent) are aged 0-6, with three quarters of them living in rural areas. Government of Uganda has approved the National Policy on Early Childhood Education (ECD). Sectoral policies also cater for selected ECD issues. The National Council for Children (NCC) facilitated the formation of the ECD Technical Forum (ECD/TF) and coordinates its activities. The ECD/TF serves as a clearing house for ECD programmes in a sector wide approach. Key sectoral interventions include: early childhood survival and nutrition; early childhood care and protection; and early childhood education and learning. Discussions are underway to develop a comprehensive ECD policy under the leadership of the NCC. The ECD/TF composition is drawn from the Government line ministries, agencies, NGOs and CSOs dealing with children. The Task Force on ECD collected secondary information on ECD and compiled a report entitled “Eight is too Late”, which has become a reference material for ECD issues in Uganda. The report identifies ECD areas that need special attention including psycho- social/emotional environment, health, nutrition, care, stimulation and learning, play, pre-schools and discipline, ECD stake holders and possible donors for ECD activities. This led to the formation of the Technical Forum which has continued with the work on ECD policy 31