Tribhuvan Jana Secondary School in Bhotechaur Chhatreshwori Rural Municipality, Salyan, has been running classes for deaf students from a single classroom for the last 17 years.

The school has 15 deaf children from grade one to grade five. All of them are taught in the same classroom.

The school says it lacks infrastructure, education materials and teachers to run separate classes for these students. 

“We have been compelled to teach students in a single classroom because we lack resources and teachers,” said Shanta KC, the only teacher for the deaf at the school.

“It is difficult to teach students from different grades in one classroom. Students with disabilities need special attention to learn. The needs of these children to learn effectively are not being fulfilled here,” said KC. 

Jit Bahadur Bhandari, the school’s headmaster, said the deaf students were being taught in the same classroom because their numbers were few. 

“What we need is additional teachers for these students. We have requested the rural municipal office to manage teachers and resources to teach these students,” said Bhandari.

The situation of other community schools in Salyan that run classes for students with disabilities and special needs is no different than that of Tribhuvan Jana Secondary School. 

At Shiwajan Secondary School, blind students do not have Braille textbooks. Rajesh Aryal, a teacher, said the students were having difficulty learning due to the lack of Braille textbooks. 

The school has 19 blind students and they have been integrated into regular classes.

“The government has not managed the resources to teach students with disabilities in the district,” said Aryal.