Zudue Juliana, a 26-year-old student teacher currently in her second year, is completing her practice teaching at Maridi National Training Institute. She stated that the sign language training provided by the Disability Inclusion facilitators at Light for the World was an eye-opener for her as a student teacher, adding that it would be beneficial if integrated into her institution's curriculum.
Before joining the Maridi Teachers Training Institute, Juliana explained that she taught in Anzara County in Western Equatoria at St. Daniel Comboni School, where many students had hearing impairments. Unfortunately, little attention was given to these students, which negatively affected their academic performance. She acknowledged that inclusive education was lacking at that time.
Now that I have been trained in sign language, I am going to make sure that I integrate this knowledge into the school where I will be assigned. Across the country we have many children with hearing impairments, and I am sure that all of us who have been trained will fully support these learners in schoolJuliana said. Close to 60% of teachers in South Sudan have not training in inclusive education including braille, sign language and how to care for children with disabilities in schools.
Juliana further explained that the knowledge is particularly valuable because she has a colleague who is a student teacher with hearing impairment in the same classroom, making it much easier to communicate with her effectively.
With the knowledge gained from the training, Juliana expressed her commitment to promoting inclusivity in schools and communities when interacting with people, including learners with disabilities.
She appealed to Light for the World to continue providing such training and to integrate it into teacher training curricula as a compulsory component.
Juliana admitted that she was previously unaware of the specific needs of learners with hearing impairments, but now that she has received this training, she is committed to implementing inclusive practices in schools and communities.
She praised the initiative, stating that it has been an enlightening experience for all student teachers involved.
As a technical partner under Education Cannot Wait, supported by the Multi-Year Resilience Programme, Light for the World provides technical support to teachers through specialized training programs, even in hard-to-reach areas. This ongoing support will equip teachers with the essential skills needed to effectively support learners with disabilities in schools across the country.
