Lobby: 190,000 deaf children out of school

More than 190,000 deaf children are not attending school due to traditional beliefs, a forum has heard.

Kenya Society for Deaf Children chairman Francis Ng’ang’a has said there are more than 200,000 deaf children of school going age but only about 10,000 have enrolled in the special and integrated schools in the country.

“Parents with deaf children are deliberately refusing to take them to school because they are viewed as a curse in society. Poverty is also to blame and the little funds available are invested in the education of the ‘normal’ child,” said Mr Ng’ang’a at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development on Monday.

He was speaking during the launch of a manual to assist parents to communicate with their deaf children.

He said parents have no reason not to take their deaf children to school since society was ready to support families who cannot afford to educate them.

“There are many deaf and other special needs children who have grown in various professions because they went to school.

“Public schools also have sections for children with special needs these days,” he said.

He urged county governments to hold accountable parents who deny their special needs children education.

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi said the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development manual has content that would help parents acquire skills of communicating with their deaf children.

“This manual will enable parents of children who are deaf to learn sign language that will in turn enable them to assist the children in school work and participate in social activities,” said Prof Kaimenyi in a speech read on his behalf by acting education secretary Leah Rotich.

Some of the manual’s contents include sign for figures or numbers, alphabets, members of a family, sports and recreation and religion.