HUMAN INTEREST

SIGHT IMPARED STUDENTS
June 29, 2010.

By Khalwale James

“One Braille book costs over Ksh 6000 yet a normal text book is less than Ksh 300, this is unfair for the visually impaired and the government should accept responsibility for the disparity,”



A visually challenged lady tries reading a braille book through assistance at a Kisumu hotel. Below, a braille book. Picture by Khalwale James and sources.

Many co-curricular activities have been a preserve for a few schools because of the high financial input required and as a result, poor village schools have never known what it is to compete other than in academic books which also remain scarce.

Ms Jackline Osedo, one of the organizers of music competitions in Kisumu region admits the competitions in games are expensive and involving, something that puts aside many poor institutions.

“They require thorough training consuming class hours. Music set pieces more so need specialized skills which mean extended expenditure. Head teachers don’t easily welcome this,” said Ms Osedo, also a teacher and a music trainer at Nyabondo girls’ primary school.

Most of the rural public institutions are poorly staffed with contemptible infrastructure and lack basic facilities such as classrooms reducing their chances of participating in sports events.

Ironically, the urban and private counterparts have access to surfeit resources extending to tertiary needs such as computers and internet facilities. Rural based pupils encounter such technology after O-level or college.

Kibos School for the visually impaired is one of the financially unfortunate schools which struggles to get a share of their national cake both academically and in co-curricular activities.

The school has set a remarkable performance in music competitions for this year at the zone, division, district and regional levels.

Among their best performed categories they will present at provincial and potential national levels include boys choir in class 213C with the theme ‘Maji ni Muhimu’, own composition ‘tol no lawa’ (chased by a spear) class 203C and instrumental performance class 941A.

The schools trainer Mr Joseph Osumba says they expected better results, not just position one in class 264C, Special composition whose theme was on national integration, advocating for equality in all sectors of the society and elimination of discrimination because of physical impairment or other reasons.

Mr Osumba with his fervour for music affirmed that the institution supports pupils as far as possible in all co-curricular activities in the face of its meagre financial resources.

However, he held the ministry of education responsible for failure to recognize children with special needs which makes life difficult for them. He stated that this financial year’s budget had nothing for people with special needs especially in education.

“One Braille book costs over Ksh 6000 yet a normal text book is less than Ksh 300, this is unfair for the visually impaired and the government should accept responsibility for the disparity,” he said.

The government’s reluctance to promote an affirmative action to pupils with special needs had impacted negatively with very few pupils who excelled at primary school proceeding with education.

“There are about three known secondary schools in the republic,” he said adding that many people with sight problems were not getting education because of accessibility problem.

In the country, there are about ten institutions for the blind including St. Lucy's primary, a catholic mission school for the blind; Kajiado boys primary school for the blind; Kibos primary school for the blind, Kisumu; St. Oda school for the blind, Maseno; Up hill farm, Nyahuruhu; Likoni school for the blind, Mombasa; Thika primary school for the blind and Thika high school for the blind.

With the failure of the ministry to open up more colleges and universities for this group, students join their colleagues in public institutions whose tutors and teachers feigns ignorance to students with disabilities.

“My friend has ear impairment and she expressed her surprise to me when a lecturer started dictating notes during our first lectures,” said one Ms Damary Makhaya, a third year student of special needs education at Maseno University.

The same fate follows students and pupils with special needs in public institutions with teachers lacking skills to handle them and as a result, they perform poorly academically.

“What then can we expect for special case people when even those who can see can’t get jobs; their lives simply get ruined,” contemplated Mr Osumba who showed hopelessness for the Kenyan education system which is exam oriented.

He confirmed that teachers assist their former students to get technical skills in farm and animal husbandry at Sikri College in Uyugis whereas others had been taken to public secondary schools and universities for further studies.

Event overseers Ms Jackline Osedo and Mr Malachi Odindo said that co-curricular activities such as music were an equal opportunity for job creation especially to the marginalized groups of people and pupils who find difficulty in learning formal education.