adminThe commissioning ceremony was done at Tsholotsho High School on Monday where the unit is situated.
The ministry also set up a hearing impaired class that saw 10 pupils, six girls and four boys, from Tsholotsho District enrolling.
The class is registered under Mvundlana Primary School but would be operating from Tsholotsho High, where the unit has been installed.
Save the Children Zimbabwe, a non-governmental organisation dealing with child rights, donated the equipment.
The unit consists of a booth which is made up of acoustic material to dampen sound. Inside the booth are audio phones, response switch and an audiometer outside the window.
There is also an auto-scope that is used for checking ear blockage.
The hearing levels are categorised into normal, slight hearing, moderate severe, severe and profound. Children with profound hearing impairment cannot hear normal speech.
In his address, the guest of honour, who is also head of subject: Hearing Impaired at the United College of Education (UCE) Mr Elphanos Hove challenged
communities to take disabled children to school and support their education.
He said surveys had shown that many children had hearing problems, but most parents were reluctant to come out in the open.
“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.
“This equipment is meant for screening or testing schoolchildren suspected to be hearing impaired so that they can be placed in appropriate classes.”
The teacher for the class, Mrs Lenie Banda, said the equipment was used to test levels of hearing, which assists the teachers to determine the educational interventions for pupils with hearing impairment.
There was excitement as parents and Government officials jostled to have their hearing levels tested during the practical demonstration session.
Matabeleland North provincial education director Mrs Boithatelo Mnguni said her ministry conducted the assessment of children in the province last year, and established that most had hearing problems.
She said the unit was going to enhance the participation of disabled children who were deprived of the opportunity as most schools did not have adequate services for them.
Mrs Mnguni appealed for a donation of $865 towards the completion of the remaining parts of the project such as putting the carpet, procuring a generator, printer, converter, more hearing aids and a battery.
The parents also commended the new school, saying the move was going to develop disabled children in the province.
“As parents, we have a lot of challenges when looking after disabled pupils. At first we did not have faith in this programme. We are very grateful to the Government and its development partners for providing such a facility for the development of our children,” said Mrs Catherine Mpala, a guardian with a hearing impaired child.
Save the Children Zimbabwe representative in Tsholotsho Mrs Irene Makura said her organisation was concerned about ensuring that all children obtained education and developed survival skills. “As an organisation we feel it is every child’s right to participate and develop to their fullest potential. Hearing impaired children have
for a long time been marginalised as most of their parents have failed to take them to school because of poverty,” said Mrs Makura.
“This unit would enable such children to benefit and realise their full potential.”
Heads of Government departments, traditional leaders, pupils and parents attended the event.
Online Reporter