Sikri Technical and Vocational College for the Blind and Deaf.
Sikri Technical and Vocational College for the Blind and Deaf is a Public College accredited by Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA).
Sikri Technical and Vocational College for the Blind and Deaf
Sikri Technical and Vocational College for the Blind and Deaf (STVCBD) is a public TVET institution registered under the Ministry of Education and sponsored by the CMM Brothers under the Kisii Catholic Diocese. The College plays a key role in the production of manpower needed to drive the economy towards the attainment of vision 2030 and the ‘Big Four’ Agenda.
Sikri TVCBD has a core mandate of training learners with diverse special needs; Visual impairments, Hearing impairment, Intellectually Challenged, Deafblindness among others. We also practice reverse integration by admitting 30% regular learners to promote inclusivity.
The college is currently harnessing IT to increase productivity and enhance college processes towards e-learning and general automation within the college.
The training offered at Sikri TVCBD is guided by STVCBD Academic policy, 2020 amongst other statutory and legal frameworks governing the operations of the college. We offer over 80(eighty) Courses in Diploma, Certificates CDACC, KNEC, and NITA fully registered, accredited, and licensed by TVETA.
The curriculum implementation is engrossed in the realization of 21st-century skills which take into account creativity and innovation, critical thinking/problem solving/decision making, learning to learn/metacognition, communication, collaboration (teamwork), information literacy, ICT literacy, citizenship (local and global), life and career skills, and personal and social responsibility (including cultural awareness and competence).
Why study at Sikri Technical and Vocational College for the Blind and Deaf
Sikri Technical and Vocational College for Blind and Deaf (STVCBD) is a proud TVET national college recognized for high academic standards, a devotion to the collegiate preparation of individuals who learn differently, and unparalleled student and graduate outcomes. The Sikri Experience embraces, supports, and challenges the best of us. You will like it here!
Now entering the College’s fifth decade, the Sikri Community is deservedly proud of our legacy as the Government fully accredited institution by the Technical and Vocational Training Authority (TVETA) for students with multiple disabilities. STVCBD is one of the four Government special TVET colleges in the Ministry of Education, State Department of Vocational and Technical Training.
Sikri TVC for the blind and deaf admits students who learn differently including students with learning difficulties, autism, intellectually challenged among other forms of disabilities. We champion the strength-based model and give students the skills and strategies they need to achieve their goals.
Our History
Sikri Technical and Vocational College for Blind and Deaf (STVCBD) has a long and proud history which is part of our platform for future success and linked to our present activities. We derive our mandate under TVET ACT, 2013 Section 20(1) as a Technical and vocational college to train Persons living with disabilities and 30% reverse integration for inclusivity. The institution provides training to students across the East and Central Africa region and has been the only training College with the visually impaired, hearing impaired and deaf/blind students all in one Institution undertaking relevant livelihood skills training to enable them to compete favourably in the job market or establish their own livelihood activities.
Sikri Technical and Vocational College for Blind and Deaf (STVCBD) was started in 1970 by the CMM brother of Tilburg under the Kisii catholic Diocese as Vocational training Centre for the Blind and Deaf- Sikri, to offer practical agricultural skills training for trainees from a humble background who were visually impaired.
In 1975, the school population dropped drastically despite numerous awareness campaigns of the Centre being conducted by the school administration. This prompted the administration in consultation with the Ministry of Education to admit hearing-impaired students. A total of 15 Hearing-impaired Students were admitted to undertake a four-year agricultural course at the Centre.
In 1980, a sign language specialist was invited from Holland to train basic sign language. This led to the development of a sign language dictionary to be used in the school. It is important to note that at this time the government emphasized oralism as opposed to using of sign language as a medium of instruction in public special schools and no dictionary existed on Kenya sign language.
In 1987 a wood and weaving workshop was constructed and in 1988 the two workshops were equipped with teaching/learning resources. Consequently, Carpentry/joinery and weaving /textile/clothing and textile was introduced. These courses were to strengthen general agriculture which was the main course as it requires maintenance of farm structures, buildings and clothing.
Right at inception, the institute has provided rehabilitation to visually impaired students in, Braille literacy, Orientation and Mobility, activities of daily living and communication skills. In view of this, the institute had an established Braille press for the production of Braille materials. In 1999 the rehabilitation department was instrumental in the rehabilitation of 1998 bomb blast survivors.
In 2016, the college admitted the first group of female trainees. In April 2018, the college was upgraded from Vocational Centre to a Technical and Vocational College offering technical, engineering and business courses from Artisan, Certificate Diploma levels in NITA, KNEC and CDACC. The College currently has Eight Academic and Eight non-Academic departments with a qualified and competent teaching workforce of 65 and 33 non-teaching staff.
The colleges’ long term direction is presented in the strategic plan for the period 2020/21-2024/25 with the key result areas being the main focus e.g. To enhance access and equity, infrastructure will be improved, promotion of research and development by establishing a research fund and showcasing innovations and capacity building of trainers. The plan articulates the means by which Sikri Technical and Vocational College for the Blind and Deaf is to achieve its vision and mission. The College will be able to achieve vision 2030, medium-term plan 2008-2012, government strategy on industrialization, ministry of education strategic goals, and millennium development goals.
