Chairman for Special Needs Schools in the country, Dr. Abdulia Dumbuya, has told this medium that fifteen (15) schools, including the Freetown Cheshire Home, School for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb, amongst others, will close down due to incessant delays in receiving government subventions.
Mr. Dumbuya noted that even though they have been receiving donations and support from humanitarian organizations, they have not been sustainable for the effective running of the schools.
“Most of these schools are residential and as administrators we are faced with the challenges of running the schools and the homes, as well as catering for volunteer teachers who mostly make up a bulk of the teaching staff,” the Chairman stated.
He appealed to Government to consider co-opting most of the volunteer teachers in these special needs schools into the government payroll, noting that this will ease their numerous constrains as administrators.
The Association Chairman has called on government to ensure that these incessant delays are nipped on the board.
The Ministry of Education Public Relations officer has noted that Government is committed to meeting the issues of disability, but that they are constrained with other competing priorities. He acknowledged that there are indeed delays in allocating the subventions to these schools, they as a Ministry will do everything to solve the problem.
It will be recalled that Government budgetary support to the oversight Ministry on disability issues, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s affairs is very infinitesimal to largely address the numerous problems facing person with disability.