Many deaf schools followed the "oral" approach for many years, focusing on speech, speechreading, and hearing aids to try to make deaf people function like "normal" hearing people. Many of these original deaf schools still exist and the number of deaf schools-despite a movement toward mainstreaming and inclusive education, continues to grow.

In the mid-1970's, Kenya joined a global trend in attempting to shift toward "integrated education." A number of deaf students were put into hearing schools with some efforts to accommodate their needs. Schools, however, were poorly prepared. Few resources were available to the schools, staff had not received appropriate training, and deaf students, for a number of reasons, had difficulty following the same curriculum as their hearing peers.

Free Primary Education

In 2003, the Government of Kenya implemented free primary education. Education was recognized as a basic right for all children, including children with special needs. Parents who were financially unable to send their children to primary school, are now required to do so. This policy has increased the number of all students admitted into government schools across Kenya, including those with special needs.

Deaf schools have seen an increase in enrollment and deaf units at hearing schools have been created all across the country. Under free primary education, the government does not build new classrooms or guarantee that the number of teachers allocated to schools would match the increased intake of students. Both deaf schools and units have lacked the necessary resources, training, and equipment to accommodate the new number of students. Many teachers assigned to the schools and units have poor fluency in Kenyan Sign Language.

The Government of Kenya now follows a policy of inclusive education and integration. "Children with special needs in education should learn in regular schools together with the other children. It is only in cases where the child's needs cannot be met in a regular school that such a child should be taken to a special school. A learner with special needs in education should be given the necessary support whether he/she is attending a regular or special school."

A 2003 Task Force Report found that nearly 90% of deaf children in Kenya attend special schools and only about 10% attend units.

Reference:

"Report of the Task Force on Special Needs Education Appraisal Exercise," Kenyan Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, November 2003. Chairman: Dr. Edwards Kochung.