The Savelugu School for the Deaf is the only school in the four regions of the north that caters for all children who are deaf or have a hearing impairment.

But poor infrastructure, delays in the release of subvention among others continue to impact negatively on academic work and the general wellbeing of the pupils.

With a peaceful community, full of cheerful and brilliant pupils whose warm smile and energy create a beautiful environment full of love, the silence at the school is golden.

Established in March 1978, the school was initially set up as a unit under the Nyohini Rehabilitation Centre in Tamale but was subsequently moved to the Savelugu Middle Boarding School located on the outskirts of the town.

The school is old and its classrooms and dormitories are in deplorable states.

The campus is always airily but silent. This is not because the pupils here cannot speak, but because they speak in sign language.

This silence is, however, often broken by the squeaks and squawks from the bats who share the dormitories with the 400 deaf pupils on the campus.

Though most of these students cannot hear the noisy bats, the presence of these animals seriously affects education.

The immediate past headmistress of the school, Gertrude Dasaah says this adversely affects the well being of the pupils.

The kitchen and the dining hall is another depressing structure.

Aside from the dirty walls, cracks in the structure, and the poor and inadequate furniture, the pupils are forced to share cups, bowls spoons, and attend dining in batches due to the small capacity of the hall.

This is certainly not ideal for a Covid-19 pandemic.

But all these are exacerbated by the unhygienic situation attributed to the lack of reliable potable water in the school.

As if these challenges are not enough, the school does not have adequate staff for both academic and domestic purposes. This has taken a toll on the few committed ones.

It leaves one with little wonder how these children are able to keep a smile and radiate such joy in the midst of these problems.

Perhaps a gift from God.

But their fingers remain crossed, hoping that one-day government and the society will open its ears to their plight.

Meanwhile, the current headmistress of the school Nora Naaso tells JoyNews the infrastructural challenges still persist despite efforts to renovate some of the structures.

She was however optimistic that new measures put in place by school authorities will keep the students safe during this Covid-19 era.