State mulls teaching all pupils sign language

State mulls teaching all pupils sign language. (Photo: Courtesy)

All pupils might learn sign language once the new curriculum is rolled out.

Details of the new curriculum implementation shows parents could also be taught the language as well.

A brief seen by The Standard shows that unlike in the current practice where sign language is only taught to children with hearing problems, all children could be exposed to the language.

“Sign language to be considered as a language to be taught to all learners. There is also need for parents to be assisted to learn sign language for ease of communication with their hearing-impaired children,” reads the brief.

The document says curricula for learners with special needs have already been developed.

Some 470 schools have been selected for the trial phase of the the new curriculum, which will kick off late next month. The schools are drawn from all the counties.

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) document further says teachers will be taught the subject matter and how to teach it.

They must also know how to create and support inclusive learning. The KICD document further says there will be no crowding in learning rooms and class sizes to be reduced for ease of learning.

The new curriculum aims to foster nationalism, patriotism and to promote national unity.

It will also promote social, economic, technological and industrial needs for national development in addition to promoting individual development and self-fulfillment.

“The national goals of education also includes promoting sound moral and religious values, promoting social equality and responsibility and promoting respect for and development of Kenya’s rich and varied cultures,” reads the document.

Meanwhile, top county education officials have been invited to attend a crucial head teachers’ training forum at KICD.

The Standard has established that the Ministry of Education has summoned all regional educational co-ordinators to attend the Thursday meeting expected to be launched by Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

A letter by KICD director Jwan Julius says the head teachers’ induction course will take place at Nacece Resource Centre on April 20.

Parents, teachers and all schools’ boards of management will have a special briefing session on the new curriculum roll-out next month. Also to be briefed are county education boards.

Another set of meetings has been scheduled for Ministry of Education agencies such as Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec), Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI) and Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology in East Africa (CEMASTEA).

Validation of curriculum designs (syllabuses) took place between May 4 and 5.

Approval of curriculum designs (syllabuses) by the Academic Committee was done between May 10 and 11.

And between April 16 and 22, editing of curriculum designs (syllabuses) was successfully done.

Development of print and digital curriculum support materials was completed between April 23 and May 6.