By Nasratu Kargbo
The President of the Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issues, Santigie Kargbo has expressed dissatisfaction over delay in the allocation of subventions to schools with special needs children, noting that their members will take to the streets in protest if there’s continued delay in the allocation.
The warning came despite the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education (MBSSE), providing the third and fourth quarter subventions for 2021.
At a press conference held at the Milton Margai School for the Blind (MMSB) on the 11th October 2021, Kargbo explained that every year the special needs schools are faced with delays over subvention, and said that if the Ministry of Basic Education is really serious about them, then it should not be a recurring problem.
“If this continues, we have no means but to take to the streets and let the world know how children with disabilities are being treated in this country,” he vowed. Children with special needs have been away from school for about a month, due to the lateness of the government to give schools with special needs their subsidies.
He urged for the engagement of heads of schools with special needs children like the Milton Margai School for the Blind to have them factored in the national budget, or there will be a repetition of the anomaly.
He called on President Julius Maada Bio to put premium on the welfare of these children in view of the ruling party having one of the best manifestos for persons with disability. He also urged the President to manifest that of his commitment, which made them vote for him. Kargbo appealed for a specific amount to be allocated to these schools which would help the school authorities know exactly what would be allocated to them per quarter, which would help them plan before time.
He appealed that whatever reasons for the government’s lateness in remitting the funds to the schools should be brought to an end. He explained that the pupils felt left out during their one month stay at home while other pupils were schooling.
The Headmaster of the Milton Margai School for the Blind Salieu Turay told Politico about some of the challenges, especially transportation that the children encounter. Turay explained that some of the pupils who have been promoted to secondary school need means of transportation to attend mainstream schools, because of the lack of special needs secondary schools, thereby bringing huge challenges in the movement of the children. The headmaster said the vehicle they have is very old and in need of servicing.
Turay cited the case of kids who are in the Milton Margai boarding home that attend secondary school that have to be dropped off and collected, with all the accompanying challenges.
Lack of learning materials such as typewriters, frames, computers and braille are some of the things needed at the school that has 90 pupils.
He appealed for food supplies for the school’s boarding home and for the establishment of a vocational department in the school, noting that not all their pupils can go to secondary school or university, but with vocational training, they could learn something to earn a living.
The Association of Heads of Special Needs Institutions (AHSNI) had in a press release acknowledged the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education’s allocation of the third and fourth quarter subvention for this year for all special needs schools. “According to the Radical Inclusion Policy, all children must be treated equally. Therefore, they should be fully supported to benefit from the Free Quality Education like their non-disable counterparts,” the statement notes.
The Association also asked the government to ensure the immediate approval of teachers serving the special needs institutions and to increase the subvention to allow the schools meet their recurrent obligation.
However, the group appreciated the government for keeping its promise, by providing the funds to run the schools.
Copyright © Politico Online 13/10/21
