CM decides to develop PSL learning resources across Sindh

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday decided to create and develop Pakistan Sign Language (PSL) learning resources at primary grade levels with focus on literacy and numeracy across the province.

While presiding over a meeting, CM Murad said he had a plan to involve the experts to create digital learning of sign language and capacity building of the teachers.

According to a statement released from Sindh CM House, the PSL digital resources would go on PSL portal with access across Sindh. Under the training programme, training for all teachers working in 51 Special Education Centers would be started under a Teachers training programme. The PSL resources would also be distributed in all the centers and would also be installed in the class rooms.

The CM said that he would be happy to involve DEAF Reach in the speacial education projects in Sindh. He said that there were around 300,000 deaf children in the province and majority of them have no access to quality education, therefore he was committed to provide them best education, reads the statement.

The  meeting was attended by Special Assistant of CM for programmes related to differently abled persons Qasim Naveed, a delegation of DEAF Reach comprising its CEO Mr. Richard Geary, Director Administration Mr. Daniel Marc Lanthier, Ms. Sarah Shaikh, Director Development Ms Sarah Shaikh.

Whereas the DEAF Reach CEO Mr Richard Geary said that the objectives of the chief minister could be achieved by developing and making available Pakistan Sign Language (PSL) digital learning resources across Sindh and launching of training programme for teachers across 51 Special Needs Centers in Sindh. “We will have to train around 500 teachers,” he said.

The chief minister directed Secretary Special education to get Jacob Lines Complex, Karachi completed on war footings so that it could be utilized. The under construction STEVTA building at Sukkur should also be completed on war footings. He also disused directives for making arrangement of a building in Nawabshah.

The chief minister said that education of differently-abled children was quite expensive in private sector. Many students in Sukkur Campus were on waiting list. “This shows that the present are interested to enroll their differently-abled children in government schools to make them useful citizen of the country,” he said.