The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) on their State of Human Rights Report 2019, has observed that four hearing and speech impaired (deaf and dumb) pupils at the Vine Memorial Secondary School have no sign language interpreter to assist them in learning.
It is also captured in the Report that when its monitors visited and monitored the Milton Margai School for the Blind, they observed that the school had not been assessed to ascertain it specific needs under the Free Quality School Education (FQSE), and therefore was not supplied any teaching and learning material, and assistive learning device.
The Commission also observed that six special needs children were denied admission into the Blind school, because the school had inadequate accommodation facilities in the dormitories, thus depriving them of their right to education.
It was also noted that Blind school was observed to be understaffed, and salaries of most teachers on payroll were below the minimum wage, and that also staff receive their salaries late because the subvention from the Government of Sierra Leone comes late.
The Commission indicated that HRCSL visited the Hosetta Abdulla School for mentally retarded persons on June 17, 2019, and it was observed that the school had not received subvention for the past three years, and had not benefitted from the Free Quality Education Program during the year 2019.
By George M.O. Williams
20/01/2021. ISSUE NO:7984