Albert Sandy, Acting Headmaster

28 February, 2008

Sierra Express, Freetown

Blind School Crippled

The Acting Head Master of the Milton Margai School for the blind, Albert Sandy, has told Sierra Express’ Abu Bakarr S. Tarawally that the school is crippled towards meeting its most needed supporting stage while being operated in a private venture.

He talked to Abu Bakarr and said that, running the school over the years is unwieldy because of delay in the payment of the quarterly subvention by the government apart from a few international aids that have been boosting the school up; the school has had no sponsor. There has been an increase in the number of pupil enrolment, which is supposed to be a success story and clear indication that disabled people are starting to be equaled with others.

He said that his blind children have been prudent over the years as they actively display a responsible role in service for the country. He further noted that the blind school’s choir has in recent times displayed a responsible ambassadorial role in the United Kingdom tour during which the choir was invited to commemorate the abolition of slavery. 

Educating blind children is not that easy because the cost involved in accessing the required materials such as text books, brail machines, recorders etc. is very high he went on. Mr. Sandy said that, the blind school is a special one that prepares blind children from primary 1 to 6 with a special preference to the arts education. Of course you know that blind children have this talent of singing so we are developing this talent in them as well he boasted.

The acting headmaster said that, developing a blind child in the Sierra Leonean context is a huge task that requires one to have the requisite orientation. He emphasized that disability is not inability as there have been models of renowned public figures like the former Headmaster Mr. Campbell who is a poet and a Ph.D. holder, who is an icon for Sierra Leone in the international corridor. The acting headmaster made examples of blind people that are icons in Sierra Leone, like Attila, Kabba-keh, Mrs. Parker, and Mr. Frederic Cole, etc.  He urged people not to see disability like inability but to treat especially blind people the same way others are treated.

Mr. Sandy renounced that disability is contagious. He said blindness is an impairment of the sight which is appearing as a physical nuisance.  It doesn’t imply a complete absence of the intellectual being, quoting the former headmaster, Mr. Campbell

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