Special needs students attend effective classes in Yaoundé

A tour to some schools in Yaounde revealed that students with special needs are effectively attending classes with other students.

The Principal of the School, Mrs Clémentine Onambélé Bindzi, was at the Government Bilingual High School in Nkol-Eton, Yaounde on Monday September 14, 2015

Mrs Clémentine Onambélé Bindzi, made her way into the school premises where she met Vitalis Kapjip, a blind Form Two Bilingual series student, standing in front of the administrative block.

she opted to take Vitalis to his classroom which was about 100 metres away on a storey building.

Vitalis Kapjip,who is a student quickly told the principal that he can find his way to his classroom and stated that, “at the moment I am waiting for the Monday morning general assembly before going to my classroom.”

The principal said, the reaction of Vitalis showed a remarkable extent to which students with special challenges are coping while studying in an environment that is not very adaptable to their conditions.

"Through a document signed by the ministries in charge of Social Affairs, Secondary and Basic Educations, disabled students have been able to gain admission into different schools in the country irrespective of their conditions she added.

In a school with two blind students, two students on wheelchairs or crouches and over 30 deaf and dumb students, Vitalis said he has no problem carrying out his studies, she added.

Just like other blind students at Nkol-Eton High School, Vitalis writes his notes in Braille, his examination papers are translated from Braill, before being corrected.

Also,the Social Affairs Coordinator at the Nkol-Eton High School, Carolle Alima said no fees or obligatory payment is asked from students with special needs.

Because of the lack of sign language teachers, the Social Affairs Coordinator said teachers have been advised to stand in front of the classroom when giving lectures.

This is to enable the deaf and dumb students to understand and take down notes from the special reading of their lips. However, this is not the case, Arlette Sophie Ojomo Tsimi, a Form Three German deaf and dumb student indicated.

Arlette Sophie said teachers have the tendency to speak while moving around the classroom; when they are not able to understand what is greatly said in class since, they are not able to read his lips.

Although students with special needs said they have little or no major problem, those on wheelchairs or crouches highlighted the problem of going to their classroom as well as moving around the school premises. While some of them are assisted by classmates, others like Wilfrick Jatsa, a Form Three Student at Government Bilingual High School Etoug-Ebe Yaounde, is assisted by his brother.

The school’s administration said they still need money to adapt the environment in favour of those who face challenges with movement