Sierra Leone News: Schools for Children with Special Needs Face Accommodation Problem
By Mohamed Momoh Tuba
Schools which cater for children with visual impairment in Bo, Freetown and Makeni need urgent government attention to cater for the increasing number of children who enrolled this year as a result of the Free Quality Education programme, a senior school administrator said Tuesday.
The Principal of the Milton Margai School for the Blind in Freetown, Mr Salieu Turay, who doubles as the secretary general of Sierra Leone Union of Disability Schools, told Premier News that, because of the Free Quality Education program, enrollments in the various schools for children with special needs have increased compared to the previous years. “Therefore, the schools need additional structures to accommodate all of the pupils,” he said.
“But some rooms in the boarding homes have leakages and needed to be fixed before next week,” Turay said.
“With these challenges, I call on the government and every stakeholder organization and individuals to come to the aid of the schools.”
He thanked the government for its effort in providing the Free Quality Education with special provision for the blind kids.
He said that though the school is yet to receive subvention for this academic year, the government has made some efforts in Support Milton Margai School for the Blind, adding that the government through the Teaching Services Commission is in the process of recruiting some teachers of the school.
The principal also confirmed that they have received some textbooks in English Language and Social Studies.
