Advocates Urge Action on Education Barriers for Hearing and Speech Impaired Students
By Benjamin S Conteh
On December 4th, 2024, a pivotal press conference was held at the National School for the Deaf on Wilkinson Road, Freetown. The event, spearheaded by Basiru Bah, Executive Director and Global Youth Champion for the Equal World Campaign, centered on a letter addressed to the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone. The letter urged the government to prioritize inclusive education for students with hearing and speech impairments across secondary schools, technical vocational institutions, and tertiary education.
In his address, Bah emphasized the importance of aligning Sierra Leone’s education system with international and national legal frameworks, including Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) 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.
Despite these commitments, Bah highlighted significant gaps in the education system, particularly for students with hearing and speech impairments. He noted that such students often lack access to necessary resources, such as sign language interpreters and tailored learning materials. These deficiencies prevent their enrollment in mainstream secondary schools, technical institutions, and universities, forcing many to drop out of the formal education system.
Findings from Sightsavers International
Citing research conducted by Sightsavers International during the 2023-2024 academic year, Bah revealed that no students with hearing and speech impairments were enrolled across the three campuses of the University of Sierra Leone. This stark statistic underscores the systemic barriers faced by these students and highlights a failure to uphold Section 14 of the Persons with Disability Act of 2011 and the principles of SDG4.
Bah called on the president to intervene urgently to address these challenges, emphasizing that affirmative action is essential to ensure unhindered access to education for persons with disabilities. He further criticized the slow implementation of Section 14 of the Persons with Disability Act, which guarantees access to education for disabled individuals.
Adding her voice to the call for action, the Head Teacher of the National School for the Deaf, Winifred Kamara-Cole, highlighted the dire challenges faced by the school. Established as one of Sierra Leone’s oldest institutions for students with disabilities, the school struggles with:
Inadequate transportation facilities for students and staff.
Insufficient classrooms to accommodate the growing student population.
Poorly maintained playfields, hindering recreational activities.
A severe lack of learning materials tailored to the needs of hearing and speech impaired students.
Untrained teachers in special needs education.
Delayed or absent government payroll for teachers.
Kamara Cole expressed her gratitude to Basiru Bah for his advocacy, while urging the government to reaffirm its commitment to leaving no one behind, particularly young persons with disabilities.
The conference concluded with a unified appeal for immediate government intervention to address the systemic challenges faced by students with hearing and speech impairments. Stakeholders emphasized that the failure to support these students undermines Sierra Leone’s commitment to inclusive education and its broader development goals.
The event served as a stark reminder that true progress can only be achieved when every individual, regardless of ability, has access to quality education and equal opportunities.
