The Botswana Association of the Deaf (BOAD), a non-profit Organization whose aim is to advocate on issues and welfare of the Deaf people has since called on the government and the larger community to learn how to communicate in sign language. Well, there has been a positive development to the issue as certain ministries took sign language lessons, now the sun shines brighter as this language will soon be taught in schools.
Minister of Education and Skills Development, Dr Unity Dow, says government intends to include sign language in the senior secondary schools curriculum in 2017. Dow told parliament that the adoption of the revised senior secondary school curriculum and the sign language at that level would then be followed by reviews of the other curricular including basic education and tertiary education level to accommodate and facilitate the introduction of sign language.
“My ministry has adopted an Inclusive Education Policy (2011) which means that all learners will access education equitably in all schools and as such Special Education Needs (SEN) learners would join their nearest school where all teachers would be able to assist them,” she said.
Dow added that the ideal could only be realized following the appropriate training of teachers and production of relevant learning materials as well as the review of the curriculum.
Well done to the Minister.
