adminIn any given population, around 10 percent consists of disabled people, whose access to education and other services is not comparable to their able-bodied counterparts. Were we to do a research on the literacy levels of the disabled, especially those with hearing impairment, the rate would be unbelievably low due to various societal attitudes and a lack of proper facilities for the education of those with hearing impairment.
Chronicle yesterday carried an article on the commissioning of an audiological unit worth thousands of dollars to be used by pupils with hearing impairment in Matabeleland North province.
The unit was set up at Tsholotsho High School, though its class is registered under Mvundlana Primary School in Tsholotsho. Save the Children Zimbabwe donated the equipment.
We would like to applaud the move by Save the Children Zimbabwe that will afford pupils who would have had their potential smothered by a lack of access to education in an environment that is friendly in terms of their condition. Education of children with special needs is sometimes overlooked while parents of some of these children may not even know where to turn to for help.
The United College of Education Head of Subject: Hearing Impaired, Mr Elphanos Hove, challenged communities to take disabled children to school and support their children and noted that surveys had shown many children had hearing problems but parents were not keen to come out in the open about their condition.
“The province is fraught with hearing impaired children. More children are expected in this unit and my challenge to parents, teachers and other stakeholders is to work together in charting a way forward to help the hearing impaired child,” said Mr Hove.
Ten pupils from the district have enrolled at the school.
We learn that the equipment given to the school was meant for testing schoolchildren suspected to be hearing impaired so that they could be placed in appropriate classes. An assessment by the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture last year had established that most children had hearing problems in Matabeleland North.
While we celebrate the equipping of the Tsholotsho school to handle those with hearing impairment, we would like to make a plea for other organisations to assist in the setting up of such facilities in all provinces so that we offer equal opportunities to our children across the country.
Also, the discovery that many children have hearing impairment could explain poor performances in school since many of them could be failing to grasp what their teachers would be imparting to them during lessons.
The challenge to the province’s various stakeholders remains though since according to the provincial education director, Mrs Boithatelo Mnguni, $865 is needed for the completion of the remaining parts of the project.
We agree with Save the Children Zimbabwe that “it is every child’s right to participate and develop to their full potential” and urge the government and other stakeholders to ensure that disabled children’s needs are not neglected but are addressed so that when we pride ourselves about our literacy levels we can confidently speak for the whole population.
Online Reporter