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Access to education for the Deaf in Lesotho
By: Nkhasi Sefuthi
Lesotho has ratified the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (CRPD) on the 2nd December 2008. Article 24 of the Convention obliges Lesotho to make its general education system accessible to people with disabilities by among others, putting in place and implement inclusive education policy, employ teachers with disabilities and design individualised training plans for the children withdisabilities who require high support services. Lesotho has recently adopted the inclusive education policy and its strategic plan meant to guide the Ministry of Education and Training on effective implementation of the policy for the benefit of all children with disabilities throughprovision of accommodations which will enable students with disabilities to learn on an equal basis with others.
Despite the adoption of the disability inclusive education framework adopted to support the education of learners with disabilities, learners with disabilities particular at the higher education continue to suffer discrimination on the basis of their disability.
Ms. Likelei, a young deaf woman applied for an admission for 201902020 intakes at two various higher learning institutions to further her studies.
Upon making follow up of her admission status, some of the officials from both institutions realised that such an applicant is deaf. They immediately set aside her application claiming that, they need to have a meeting to discuss whether they would admit her or not. Ms. Likeli reasonably suspects that, there is a high likelihood of being denied an admission to these institutions because her application has been set aside already with the condition that, the management will have to decide about her admission.
The National Association of the Deaf Lesotho is making a follow up on the admission to ensure that the applicant is not denied the right to education on the basis of disability.
By: Nkhasi Sefuthi
Lesotho has ratified the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (CRPD) on the 2nd December 2008. Article 24 of the Convention obliges Lesotho to make its general education system accessible to people with disabilities by among others, putting in place and implement inclusive education policy, employ teachers with disabilities and design individualised training plans for the children withdisabilities who require high support services. Lesotho has recently adopted the inclusive education policy and its strategic plan meant to guide the Ministry of Education and Training on effective implementation of the policy for the benefit of all children with disabilities throughprovision of accommodations which will enable students with disabilities to learn on an equal basis with others.
Despite the adoption of the disability inclusive education framework adopted to support the education of learners with disabilities, learners with disabilities particular at the higher education continue to suffer discrimination on the basis of their disability.
Ms. Likelei, a young deaf woman applied for an admission for 201902020 intakes at two various higher learning institutions to further her studies.
Upon making follow up of her admission status, some of the officials from both institutions realised that such an applicant is deaf. They immediately set aside her application claiming that, they need to have a meeting to discuss whether they would admit her or not. Ms. Likeli reasonably suspects that, there is a high likelihood of being denied an admission to these institutions because her application has been set aside already with the condition that, the management will have to decide about her admission.
The National Association of the Deaf Lesotho is making a follow up on the admission to ensure that the applicant is not denied the right to education on the basis of disability.