Deaf children in Kosovo are being denied quality education, warns Ombudsperson

A new report by the Ombudsperson has highlighted the failures of Kosovo’s education system to provide deaf children with proper education and the use of sign language. According to the findings, students with hearing impairments continue to lag behind even after completing high school.

The investigation was launched after alarming signals from citizens and non-governmental organizations, which showed that many deaf young people, despite high academic success in school, cannot read or write at the expected level. This situation called into question the true quality of education they receive.

During the process, the Ombudsperson’s institution contacted the “Mother Teresa” Resource Center in Prizren and sought explanations from the Ministry of Education and Science. The questions focused on curricula, teacher qualifications, availability of sign language, and concrete strategies to ensure inclusive education for these students.

The report concludes that, although the Constitution and laws in force guarantee the right to education, deaf children face deep barriers in practice. The pronounced lack of teachers trained in sign language, support specialists, interpreters, as well as the absence of adapted textbooks and fair assessment systems, is seriously harming their educational development and exposing them to the risk of discrimination.

To address these problems, the Ombudsperson has directed several key recommendations to the Ministry of Education. Among them are: full implementation of inclusive education policies, engagement of a multidisciplinary team at the “Mother Teresa” Resource Center, increased professional training for teaching staff and interpreters, and the establishment of a regular inspection system to closely monitor the quality of teaching.