Inclusive education in South Sudan: teachers trained in sign language and braille 

As part of a multi-year resilience programme supported by Education Cannot Wait, the next generation of educators are learning how to give disability-inclusive classes for all.  

Teachers in South Sudan are learning sign language and braille to support children with disabilities in the classroom and promote inclusive education throughout the country. 

Light for the World, in collaboration with the South Sudan Ministry of General Education and Instruction, has launched the training for teachers. The nine-month programme covers sign language, braille and inclusive education pedagogy.  

The training is provided by Light for the World, with support from Save the Children.  

The aim is to train 1,400 teachers from all over the country at three national teacher training institutes in the next two years.  

They include Beatrice, 24, a student teacher taking the course as part of her studies at Rombur National Teachers Training Institute (RNTTI) in Juba.  

“At the beginning it was a bit difficult, but after the introduction to sign language the sessions are now getting interesting and we are learning it with much love,” she says.  

“Today I learnt the alphabet, how to greet someone, how to ask someone their name and how to introduce yourself in sign language.” 

Beatrice taught at Sacred Heart Primary School in Magwi County, Eastern Equatorial State, before joining RNTTI.  

“In the school where I was teaching, you rarely saw children with disabilities since there were not enough teachers to teach sign language and braille, and I believe that is why they chose to stay at home,” Beatrice says.  

“Now I feel compelled to learn more so that when I return, we can at least convince their parents to send them to school. As well as talk to those students who are already enrolled to encourage others who have been left out to attend.  

“My message to parents is that they should not look down on their children with disabilities — they are just like everyone else. Instead, they should find a route ahead by sending their children to school.” 

Alex, another student teacher at RNTTI, is excited to use his new skills when he returns to his school, also in Magwi County. 

“I am really proud to be a part of this programme because before entering the institute, I taught several boys and girls who had hearing impairments, as well as those with visual and other forms of disabilities. I felt terrible in class because of the communication barrier,” he says.  

“Now I am overjoyed that I am being trained by Light for the World. After I graduate, my expertise will be transformed when I return to school.” 

The training is part of Education Cannot Wait, which is funding a multi-year resilience programme to provide safe and inclusive education to crisis-affected learners across fourteen counties in South Sudan. Light for the World has partnered with Save the Children, Plan International, UNESCO, and grantees, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Finn Church Aid. 

The goal is to tackle barriers to inclusive learning, with Light for the World providing technical expertise for disability inclusion. Enabling children with disabilities and girls with and without disabilities to attend school is the priority, with the aim of reaching 135,000 learners, particularly returnees and internally displaced people (IDPs) – including those who have fled the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan. 

“Every child with a disability has a right to education,” says Sophia Mohammed, Country Director at Light for the World South Sudan. 

“This crucial training will help address an urgent need for qualified teachers in inclusive education to accommodate and support children with disabilities.

“With less than half of the children in South Sudan in school, we must ensure every child has access to inclusive education that encourages them to reach their potential and thrive.”  

As a technical partner of Education Cannot Wait in South Sudan, Light for the World is also focusing on ensuring equitable, gender responsive, and uninterrupted access to quality learning opportunities for crisis-affected girls and boys, including those with disabilities.   

This includes the construction of safe and accessible learning spaces, teacher training on inclusive education and disability awareness, and supporting learners with disabilities to attend school. 

Moses, a pupil at Obbo Nursery and Primary School in Magwi County, missed first term examinations after his tricycle broke.  

“It was easy for me to come to school when I had a tricycle, but it broke,” says Moses, 18. 

“I had to stop coming because the school is far away from home.” 

Disability Inclusion Facilitators from Light for the World found Moses was out of school and that he needed a new tricycle.  

Working with Save the Children, they bought a new tricycle for Moses. Now, he is back in school, learning with his classmates. 

Find out more about Education Cannot Wait and Light for the World’s work in South Sudan promoting Inclusive Education.