Despite getting a basic education to enable them to cope with their hearing impairment, the hopes of deaf children in Burao are being dashed by the lack of a specialized secondary school in their area.
Burao School for the Deaf, which was established in 2010 and is run by the Somaliland education ministry, has had more than 100 children on its roll. The school has been trying to empower the children in preparation for future careers.
However, there are currently more than 50 children whoย completed primary classes at the school who are now losing hope of furthering their education and ambitions, as there is no secondary school in the area catering for their needs.
โForty of those students who completed their primary education are staying at home in the town, while the remaining 14 have returned to their homes in rural areas,โ Ahmed Abdirahman Ismail, the head teacher of the school, told Radio Ergo.
The school currently has 90 pupils, including 30 girls, who are drawn from Burao town and its outskirts.
The school teaches children between eight and 16 years of age. Somaliland authorities have employed six qualified teachers for the school, which uses the Somaliland curriculum.
The school administration submitted their concerns to the Somaliland ministry of education which runs the school.
โWe have submitted our concerns and proposal to establishย a tertiary institution. There are efforts underway to address the challenges,โ the head teacher stated.
Asha Jama Ali is a parent of two children with hearing impairments. The two children, a boy, and a girl have been staying at home since they completed their primary education at Burao School for the Deaf in 2016.
โThis situation could ruin the future of these children. Their education is disrupted. I call for support to help these children pursue their secondary education,โ Asha urged.
Somaliland education ministry coordinator in Togdher region, Mohamud Hassan Eynanshe, said the ministry is planning to open a technical college in early 2019 to equip deaf children with vocational skills.