Maria Chale, 36, was a bubbly little girl who, encouraged by her older siblings and supported by her mother, developed an affinity to reading at a young age. She also loved singing, and always wanted to be a soldier.
Surviving in her new predicament听was challenging and听although her relatives became more supportive, some of her peers bullied her. In class, her ability to grasp what was being taught was greatly compromised.
"At first,听I used to wear hearing aids at school to help with hearing.听but I stopped using them as they produced too much static. Also, I got teased a lot by friends at school, so I just stopped wearing them,"听said Ms.听Chale听in an听interview with听Africa Renewal听through written responses.听
That meant听she had to sit听at the听front听of the class so she could听lip-read the teachers听as听they taught. For the most part, she depended on reading听her class notes.听With her earlier-acquired passion for reading, her performance was still impressive.
However,听despite trudging through听high听school and being selected to the highly sought-after听and competitive Chancellor College where she read social sciences and later completed a masters at the University of Edinburgh,听Ms. Chale听still faces challenges,听including a seemingly discriminative attitude from some potential employers.听
Malawi听shifted from a special education system to an inclusive education system听in the 1990s,听where emphasis has been on enabling children听with hearing disabilities听to learn alongside other children in听all听鈥榠nclusive鈥櫶齧ainstream classrooms.
According to a study听鈥楥hallenges faced by Deaf Children in Accessing Education in Malawi鈥�,published in the Deafness and Education International in 2021,() many deaf children听听in the country听are struggling in 听mainstream classrooms.
"However, the field remains confused, particularly since many children听who are deaf听are struggling in inclusive mainstream schools.听Most special schools for听children who are deaf are boarding schools, which are too expensive for poor families,"听said听the report.
The study听found that due to isolation and loneliness听in mainstream schools, some children are withdrawing from these schools and joining schools for听children听who are deaf.听Furthermore, according to the听study,听most听teachers听in听mainstream schools lack听proper听understanding of听the unique听听educational needs听of children with hearing disabilities.
Ms.听Chale, whose听master鈥檚听degree听is in Inclusive and Special Education and works as Disability Inclusion Consultant with Save the Children International in Malawi,听how听the听use听of听a听manual听note-taker听for students听with hearing disabilities听during听her undergraduate smoothened her studies.
"I copied notes when sitting close to my classmates and this is听the听strategy that helped me quite a lot. The lecturers were also very helpful and shared with me notes or pamphlets听well听in advance," she said.
Perhaps the biggest challenge听Ms. Chale听encountered during her听schooling听was听the听lack of sign language support. Although she had the advantage of being able to speak, it was still difficult to lip-read teachers听throughout a whole lesson because听they often walked听up and about during class or听sometimes听spoke听while facing the board.
Some improvements
Looking back from her time in school,听Ms. Chale听says there have been听some听slight听improvements. For a start, there听are now some听qualified听and听specialist teachers in the field of deaf education, although not many. Also,听there has been some听government support towards those with visual disabilities.
However,听it has emerged that听some of the听鈥榮pecialist鈥櫶齮eachers听were听only taught basic听day-to-day听communication in Malawi sign language,听which is not听necessarily听conducive for classroom discourse.
"There is nearly nothing done for the听students鈥櫶齠uture transition to secondary school. There is still no support听and no听education materials available to them in schools," she said,听adding: "the pass rate of learners with disabilities in primary and secondary schools continues to go downhill."
Ms. Chale听commends听organisations, national and international,听advancing inclusive education听in the听country听but听would like听them to听employ听more people with the disabilities.听She听herself听has previously worked as a specialist teacher at a girl鈥檚听high听school before taking up her current post.听While听in college, she was also part of the听martial arts team coming听in听first in the female categorycompetitions听in 2007.
"The most memorable events while pursuing my education was the support rendered to me in听secondary听school听and听university. I had very supportive friends,"听she added.
Malawi, for the first time,听recently听held a national Spelling Bee competition听for听children听who are deaf听to听promote听and听encourage听inclusive education among special needs students.听Malawi is听among the first听African countries to hold such a spelling bee听competition.
A total of six schools for children听with hearing disabilities听participated in the competition organized by the Malawi'听Association for听the听Deaf,听with financial support from听donors.
At the听Ministry of Education听in Malawi, the department听of Inclusive Education is听committed听toachieving inclusive education in the country.听The听chief education officer, Peter Msendema,听says the department听is听developing a sign language manual to train听more听teachers in the country.听
Recently, colleges and universities introduced programmes in inclusive and special needs education.听
Montfort Special Needs Education College, Catholic University of Malawi and Machinga Teachers Training College are some of the institutions that have fully听-fledged programmes.
Jenipher Mbukwa Ngwira,听the head of听special听needs听education听at the Catholic University of Malawi, the only university with an inclusive education programme targeting secondary school teachers,听says听interest听in the programme听has peaked.
She says听the number of learners in the faculty include 80 students doing diploma, 40 students upgrading from regular teacher qualification and听 200 bachelor students.听
But challenges听still听persist.
"We have an acute shortage of specialty teachers to support learners with disabilities. The number of teachers graduating from these institutions is not enough. The problem is when they graduate,听they end up听getting听other jobs and not teaching," she said.
Ms.听Ngwira听says听some teachers have a knowledge gap on what constitutes inclusion. Inclusion, she says,听goes beyond infrastructure and conducive environment. To her,听teaching methods, available听resources and friendliness of the learning environment听are听also important听for a moreconducive听learning听environment.
Again,听Ms.听Ngwira听says听a lot of focus is given to听physical听disabilities听while听disregarding children with cognitive challenges听such as听intellectual听disability, attention deficit, behaviour, dyslexia and others.
"We have so many learners with autism, impairments,听health听problems and others. These听, learners are left behind because teachers听do not听have听the听expertise on how to support them," she听says. Besides,听she adds, some classrooms are not properly lit, toilets are inaccessible and other infrastructural challenges still persist.
Ms.听Ngwira commends听various policies that the government of Malawi has in place,听including a draft on inclusive education,听but called for听full听implementation.
"Policies exist but awareness by teachers and the public is not really there. We may have well-written policies but without implementation it beats the whole purpose. We should have more training for teachers and knowledge for regular teachers. Every teacher should be an inclusive teacher able to support any diverse problems,"听said Ms. Ngwira.
