Eight students with hearing disabilities bag first class at Wesley Varsity

No fewer than eight students with hearing disabilities graduated with First Class honours at the weekend during the 13th convocation ceremony of Wesley University, Ondo State.

The deaf scholars were among the 39 graduands who bagged first-class degrees out of the 230 graduating students in the 2023/2024 academic session of the faith-based institution.

Speaking during the convocation ceremony held within the school premises in Ondo City, the headquarters of the Ondo West Local Council Area of the state, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Sunday Obeka, disclosed that the deaf students studied computer science, law, and social sciences, among other courses.

While revealing that six deaf students graduated with upper-level degrees last year from the institution, the VC stressed that the institution’s Directorate of Deaf and Special Needs Education had empowered the deaf community and employed more deaf scholars.

He said, “I am proud to inform you that Wesley University is the only university in the country that embodies the inclusive education project. Of the 230 students graduating this year, 39 achieved first-class honors, and eight of these are deaf scholars.

“At Wesley University today, we have deaf students excelling in various fields. They are studying computer science, law, social services, and other programs.

“Last year, six deaf students graduated with upper-level degrees, and this year, we have eight deaf graduates. We pray that even more will graduate in diverse fields in the future. To this end, Wesley University is collaborating with Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., on deaf education.”

According to the Vice-Chancellor, the university’s management had approved a program to educate all staff and students in sign language to facilitate communication with the deaf community, stressing that the institution is also partnering with Cliff College in England for its theological education program.

Meanwhile, Obeka appealed to the federal government to support private universities running medical colleges by assisting with salary payments and the provision of infrastructure to address the shortage of health workers in the country.

“The Federal Government should extend a hand of fellowship to support medical colleges in private universities such as Wesley University, which now offers medical and allied courses, including health sciences, pharmacy, medicine and surgery, physiology, physiotherapy, health information management, human anatomy, and other programs.

“These programmes, we believe, can address the challenges in the health sector if the government supports us with salary payments and the provision of infrastructure.”