Chairperson, I would like to thank the hon Minister for the work being done in this regard. According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, people with disabilities have poorer health outcomes, lower education achievements, less economic participation and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities. So, on the subject of children on which you focused, South Africa is home to over 300 000 children with disabilities, with an estimated 165 000 children with disabilities who are not able to access education. Has your department managed to monitor whether children with disabilities are being integrated into the Millennium Development Goal programme targets for universal basic education for all children? What would the relevant details be there? Thank you.
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Chairperson, I have already alluded to the audit that we are doing on special schools, working with the Department of Basic Education. As I said earlier, we are promoting an inclusive education policy which is being spearheaded by the Department of Basic Education.
We are also promoting the Universal Access Campaign, which ensures that people with disabilities, including children with disabilities, have access to all government services, including education. At the moment, we are visiting provinces and addressing premiers and MECs in the various provinces to ensure that we raise awareness about the situation of children with disabilities, about the status of special schools in various provinces and to ensure that we commit them to be part of the programme and the movement to promote, respect, protect and fulfil the rights of children with disabilities. Thank you, Chairperson.