Government Asked to Focus On Deaf Children in Upe Enrollment

From: AllAfrica.com, Africa - Jan 13, 2004

New Vision (Kampala)

Ahmed Angulibo Kampala

THE Uganda National Association for the Deaf (UNAD) has asked the government to focus on children with disabilities in the next Universal primary education (UPE) enrollment.

UNAD information and advisory officer Joseph Mbulamwana said this on Saturday during the northwestern region general assembly for the deaf at Hotel Pacific in Arua town.

The assembly was organised by the UNAD and funded by the Danish Deaf Association.

Mbulamwana said the first batch of the UPE programme whose pupils sat for primary leaving examination last year did not benefit the deaf because they had few trained teachers on special needs education.

"Districts should send more teachers for special needs education training," he said.

The sign language interpreter, Julius Omuguru, appealed to the districts to support the deaf associations by including them in their budgets.

During the conference, Asega Badru Osuman from Arua district was elected the regional UNAD chairperson.

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