By Peter Otuoro
Most special needs institutions are always neglected in terms of infrastructural development and resources.
Ngala Secondary School for the Deaf is no exception. Located in Nakuru county, the school majorly admits special needs children from very humble backgrounds.
Their humble backgrounds makes it hard for them to have access to basic needs, school fees and special learning materials to enable them acquire quality secondary school education.
Mrs. Pauline Kimani, the school principal, said that due to the poor background of most parents, they admit students without school uniforms and school fees.
In an interview with Education News, Mrs. Kimani gave an example of a parent from Baringo County who admitted a student without even a school uniform.
“Quite a number of our students are orphans who cannot even afford a school uniform because of their humble background. However, we admit them because they also have a right to education like other Kenyan children,” she added.
She further added that the school also doesn’t have facilities to cater for all the students.
“We have very few classes. We also need Science laboratories and laboratory equipment to enable the students have practical lessons in Biology, Physics and Chemistry,” she said.
She added that through practical skills, the students will be able to compete in the competitive
The Principal said that the school also lacks enough toilets and dining halls for students’ use.
“We do not have teachers’ houses. All teachers live outside the school compound. We therefore request donors to assist us by constructing teachers’ houses,” Mrs Kimani pleaded, adding that staying inside the school compound will enable the teachers to devote more time to the students.
Mrs. Kimani said that despite the challenges they face, the school has set out to improve its academic performance. In 2020 KCSE, the school had a mean score of 2.00 and in 2021 KCSE, it had a mean of 2.374.
They are targeting a mean of 2.5 in 2022 KCSE.
“We managed to take two students out of 32 students to university in 2021 KCSE,” Mrs. Kimani said proudly.
She added that the school has a student population of 132 and 13 teachers employed by TSC.
“We have two teachers employed by the BOM and seven support staff,” she explained.
Mrs. Kimani said the school started in 2009 as the only Special School for hearing impaired students in Rift Valley Region and it has so far nurtured the talents of many students who learn in the institution.
She said that students have proved that disability is not inability by excelling in co-curricular activities through participating in regional and national competitions in netball, handball and athletics where they won various trophies.
“Grancy Kendago, a student from our school, represented Kenya in the 2022 Olympic competitions held in Brazil and won a silver medal. Other students like Benazil Chebi, Kokobi Omari and Silvernes Ayecho have been participating in World Athletics for the Deaf and won various medals for Kenya,” she added with a beaming smile.
Mrs. Kimani urged all well-wishers and stakeholders to support students learning in special schools to enable them fulfill their dreams and vision and also to make them to be productive people in the society.
