Teachers with visual impairment have called for teaching assistants to help them properly discharge their duties.

To them, it is easier when they are using braille but sometimes they have students who are not visually impaired and it becomes hard for them to mark the students’ exams.

The teachers made the request on Sunday, October 8 during a four-day training on inclusive education that was organised by Rwandan Education Board (REB) in partnership with the World Bank.

The training that was attended by visually impaired teachers and head teachers also intended to equip them with knowledge about their rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

In an interview with The New Times, Jovina Uwamariya, a teacher at Groupe Scolaire St Famille said that as an English teacher, the training has helped her understand her rights and the laws that protect her.

"For teachers who are disabled like me, we need assistant teachers since it is hard for us to mark transcribed exams. Normally, we are helped by other teachers but we have to pay some money from our pockets,” she said.

She added that if they were given assistants, work will be easier especially during marking students without special needs.

In an interview with the head teacher at GS Rwisirabo located in Nyagatare district, Robert Gasana, said that REB is championing inclusive education and encouraged visually impaired teachers to have confidence in themselves.

Gasana said that some school head teachers don't believe that teachers with disabilities are able and added that such training unlocks the teachers’ potential.

He also emphasised the need for teaching assistants.

Floride Ibyobyiza, who teaches mathematics and English at GS Rukindi in Rusizi said that, "the challenges we face is not having braille textbooks which slows down our work. Today, we have been given laptops which have a system that helps us read transcribe text books and prepare for class lessons."

The visually impaired teachers were given laptops during the training as one of the solutions to their challenges and REB promised to provide solutions to other challenges to ease their work.

Speaking during the training, REB’s Director General, Nelson Mbarushimana, said that the training offers a unique opportunity of bringing together visually impaired teachers and head teachers to discuss the challenges they face and come up with solutions.

"We hope that every teacher will be able to live on school premises since another challenge they face is commuting daily from their homes to schools,” he said.

He added that these teachers are also able and are performing well in their respective schools and promised that REB is going to find solutions for the challenges mentioned during the workshop.