Special Schools Benefit From University Partnership

Special schools in Thika have benefited from partnerships with the local education giant, Mount Kenya University, in areas of training and outreach programmes reducing students’ challenges and improving learning environment.

Among the schools is the St. Patrick Special School where through joint partnership, is set to benefit from equipment, community outreach, training and research.

MKU Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Deogratius Jaganyi, said they are also working with a local organization, Kilimambogo Blind Trust Association (KBTA), where they jointly support 24 students with vision impairment.

Through the partnership, he said, KTBA has managed to introduce the Orbit Reader 20, a computer with braille provision, to replace the analog braille, thereby, improving efficiency and effectiveness in learning among vision impaired students.

“At the St Patrick Special School, we shall work through a tripartite partnership with the school and Lion Club, their main sponsor, to engage in community outreach and support the students to achieve their dreams,” he said.

He said the University has been working with People Living with Disability (PLWD) as they have received close to 100 students abled differently from the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) in the last two years.

The VC said the University has put in the necessary infrastructure to train the students and give them a good learning environment, calling on other universities to follow suit.

“We have an office that spearheads the coordination of students from the University and non-students from the community who are abled differently. This has helped in reaching out to as many of the students as possible,” he said.

He was speaking when the University fraternity visited St Patrick’s Special School in Thika, today.

The VC was accompanied by MKU Principal, Corporate Services, Prof Peter Wanderi and St Patrick’s School Principal James Macharia.

Macharia called on the University to frequently organize motivational talks with its students to help them achieve their dreams.

He said the school was experiencing a lot of challenges, including an acute shortage of teaching staff and that MKU students would be in tutoring.

“The University is ready to support the Institution. We want to intensify the partnership with the school and the Lions Club International, who are the main sponsors and help our children,” said Prof Jagayi.