The renowned Ngala Secondary School of the Deaf in Nakuru city has achieved a one hundred percent transition from primary to secondary school, and they are petitioning the government and well-wishers to assist them to expand the infrastructure to enable the students to learn in a conducive environment.
The principal of the secondary school Pauline Kimani said the secondary school was established in 2009 with only 13 students, but the population has increased to 130 and they are attracting students from as far as Kwale, Samburu, Narok, and Kakamega counties.
Interviewed by KNA today at the school, she said the students require more dormitories, classrooms, and projectors. Currently, they have only two working projectors since the other four require repairs. She added that because the students are hearing impaired they learn better using their enhanced sense of sight.
Additionally, she said the primary side which was started in the early 1970s has now been enabled to transition 100 percent of their pupils to secondary school, and they attract more from all over the country mainly where there are no such special secondary schools.
Also, she emphasised that the school lacks staff quarters and all the teachers operate from outside the school. However, they have created a small room for the teacher on duty to sleep in and watch over the students at night.
She noted that the Kenya National Special Needs Education Policy Framework (2009) which supports the research and development of Special Needs Education (SNE) in the country has made a huge difference in learning procedures and that has contributed a great deal to the achievement of Education for All (EFA) as envisaged in vision 2030.
Kimani commended the Kenya Society for the Deaf, which has been at the forefront of supporting both primary and secondary schools and their campaigns have changed the parent’s attitudes from hiding their children to taking them to school.
She appealed to well-wishers to support some of the students who struggle to pay school fees, adding that the school fees is Sh.12650 annually.
The stillness, peace, calm, and quietness at the school gives the impression that the special students are different from others, but the principal said they are just like others and they can be naughty, hence the need for close monitoring.
So far the secondary school has sent a number of its students to Kenyatta University, which offers degrees in special education.
By Veronica Bosibori
