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Students at Sikri Technical and Vocational College for the Blind and Deaf have a reason to celebrate after the government upgraded the institution to a national polytechnic.

The elevation grants the college autonomy to design its own curriculum tailored to learners with diverse disabilities an issue that has long hindered effective teaching and learning.

Principal Evance Oyoo said the current curriculum does not adequately cater to students with complex and multiple disabilities, including those who are deaf, blind, or both.

“Some of our students have multiple disabilities, which makes the standard curriculum unsuitable. It must be reviewed to meet their specific needs,” Oyoo said.

He cited examples where visually impaired students struggle with courses such as linear programming in their current format, underscoring the need for customised learning approaches.

Oyoo noted that the institution had previously sought government approval to develop its own curriculum, a move that required elevation to national polytechnic status.

“We wrote to the Ministry of Education requesting national status, and the President has now approved the upgrade,” he said.

He added that the college’s unique student population many with more than one form of disability requires flexible learning methods to match different learning speeds.

“This upgrade will allow us to design a curriculum that truly responds to the needs of our students,” Oyoo said.

The principal also urged parents not to hide children with disabilities but instead enrol them in institutions where they can acquire skills and become self-reliant.

“These children can become breadwinners. They should not be hidden at home,” he said.