Challenges Faced By Teachers Of Pupils With Hearing Impairements In Kaitheri Primary School, Kirinyaga District, Kenya.

Deaf education in Kenya falls under the ministry of education, special education division. This section of the ministry deals with the administration of education of persons with special educational needs, deaf education being one ofthem. History of deaf education in Kenya dates back to the founding of Kenya Society for Deaf Children (KSDC) in 1958 and the subsequent establishment of the first two schools for the deaf, Nyangoma and Mumias primary schools for the deaf in western Kenya in 1961 .Later Vocational and Technical and academic secondary schools for the deaf girls and boys were set up. The number of students in the schools for the deaf according to KSDC (2001) statistics has. tremendously increased over the years from 1,710 in 1982 to 6,000 in the year 2001. No empirical study has been carried out to ascertain reasons for the steady rise but it is speculated that it could either be due to the increasingly high prevalence of diseases causing deafness such as malaria, measles, meningitis or could be due to effective campaigns, awareness and establishment of Educational Assessment and Resource Services (EARS) across the country and the subsequent availability of educational opportunities for the deaf. Despite the improvement, there are still about 30% of deaf children not attending school (KSDC (2001).