Post a comment
Youth and Children in Support of Sustainable Development Goals has call on the Government of Sierra Leone and President Julius Maada Bio to consider accelerating inclusive education for Hearing and Speech Impairments Students.
According to international and national legal framework works, which Sierra Leone has signed, ratified, and enacted, students in secondary schools, technical vocational institutes, and tertiary institutions are to get equal educational opportunities.
This also includes SDG 4 of The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, The Persons with Disability Act of 2011, and The Basic and Senior Secondary Education Act of 2023, among others.
Youth and Children in Support of Sustainable Development Goals in its letter stated that, despite these legal instruments, students with Hearing and Speech Impairments need the help to access the required materials, particularly sign language provisions or interpreters in secondary schools, technical vocational institutions, and colleges, to ensure effective learning.
The letter further states that students with the above mentioned conditions after completing primary school cannot enroll in mainstream institutions because there are no provisions, thus making them drop out of the formal learning system.
The letter also revealed that according to a research conducted by Sightsavers International Country Team during 2023/2024 academic year, shows that, there is no trace of any student with Hearing and Speech Impairment the University of Sierra Leone among its three campuses, which undermines Section 14 of the Persons with Disability Act 2011 and SDG 4.
The letter urged President Bio for timely intervention to reduce the challenges faced by these students.
