A public school for mentally handicapped children in Ol Jororok Constituency is appealing for help to construct dormitories and classrooms, among other amenities, to meet growing demand for admission of mentally challenged pupils.
The school that caters for learners with special needs in Nyandarua West Sub County intends to increase the capacity to hold the surging numbers of pupils with disabilities from the current 60 to above 100 to cover the ever-rising population.
According to the School Head Teacher, Ms. Monica Muraya, the 60 pupils are all from the vicinity of the school, and teachers transport them to and from school in pooled Tuk Tuk wheelers, where parents wait for their children at various drop-off places.
Ms. Muraya said the school, being the only one for mentally handicapped children in Nyandarua West subcounty since 2003, had been operating as a unit at the Gatimu Primary School until recently when they had to vacate classes it has been operating in.
“The children are now learning in a seven-year-incomplete building that is supposed to be the dormitory. They moved to the building because their former learning rooms at the primary school have been converted into Grade Nine classrooms ready to be occupied next January,” noted Ms. Muraya.
The school head further noted that the government has partly addressed the issue of lack of teachers by posting seven teachers to the school, but lack of infrastructure like classrooms hindered admission of more pupils, adding that this has caused many children with special needs to remain at home.
She further pointed out the school admits children with autism, mental challenges, and cerebral palsy, adding that being pushed out of their former location saw them lose amenities like the physiotherapy room.
Ms. Muraya admitted that the school being under the national government limits the county government’s role in its development.
Apart from the need for a modern gate, the school is also in need of a piped water supply, which is being enjoyed by its neighbouring schools and homes from a solar-powered borehole in the primary school compound.
The school head also said her school was in need of boarding facilities and classrooms to enable many children with special needs to access education.
“Recently, we had children from Passenga and Gathanji areas who were seeking admission but we could not take them in due to lack a dormitory,” the head teacher added.
She said the school relies on well-wishers to sustain its feeding programme since the children don’t carry packed meals from home because of their poor background.
By Kimani Tirus
