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Deaf Education in South Africa

Deaf Education in South Africa. Claudine Storbeck Fulbright Scholar University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. South Africa - Facts. Southern tip of Africa 9 Provinces Size – > than France, Italy & Germany combined

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Deaf Education in South Africa

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  1. Deaf Education in South Africa Claudine Storbeck Fulbright Scholar University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

  2. South Africa - Facts • Southern tip of Africa • 9 Provinces • Size – > than France, Italy & Germany combined • 35° south latitude (CT = distance from equator as Sydney and Los Angeles) • Leading producer of gold, platinum, chromium and much of world’s diamond market

  3. South Africa – The people • 45 Million people • > 20 ethnic groups • 11 Official Languages • Predominantly Christian • National Anthem has 5 languages

  4. South African - Politics • South African Democracy is born in 1994 • South Africa's national anthem Nksi sikelel' iAfrika Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo, Yizwa imithandazo yethu,Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo. Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso,O fedise dintwa la matshwenyeho,O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso,Setjhaba sa South Afrika - South Afrika. Uit die blou van onse hemel,Uit die diepte van ons see,Oor ons ewige gebergtes,Waar die kranse antwoord gee, Sounds the call to come together,And united we shall stand,Let us live and strive for freedom,In South Africa our land.

  5. South African History • Brief Timeline

  6. South African Laws • 1996 - South African Constitution • promote, & create conditions for the development & use of ... sign language • 1996 - South African Schools Act • South African Schools Act, 1996Chapter 2.6 No 4A recognised Sign Language has the status of an officiallanguage for purposes of learning at a public school. • 1997 – Integrated National Disability Strategy • 1997 - Language in Education Act • 2001 – White Paper 6 • Building an Inclusive Education System

  7. Education in South Africa Mainstream Education • Recently adopted an Outcomes Based Education system (OBE) → Curriculum 2005 • Inclusion – broad philosophy as a reaction against apartheid and oppressive education • Education for all • Equal Education for all • + Human rights approach says – equal outcomes for all Deaf Education • Teachers battle to implement Outcomes Based Education system (OBE) → Curriculum 2005 • Inclusion: there is a false assumption that inclusion is bad or that all schools will close down

  8. South African Deaf Community

  9. Deaf Education in South Africa • 1.6 million Deaf people in SA • 200 – 300 000 users of SASL • 43 Schools for the Deaf • Religious roots • Historically racially established • Residential schools • Language policies vary • 1/3 functionally illiterate • 70% unemployed

  10. How do we challenge the status quo…? • Train Teachers of the Deaf (not yet compulsory) • Honours and Advanced Certificate level • Teachers reflect our population

  11. Preparing our Teachers … • Content Knowledge • Skills • Challenge their philosophy, their paradigm … • We acknowledge plural identities • Deaf • hearing • Racial • Language • Gender • Religious • other

  12. Research • Train Deaf researchers to do research into SASL • Provide opportunities for training, sharing, growing • Empower

  13. Community Service

  14. Community Service – Deaf Baby programme

  15. Yet…. despite all we are doing as a Country and as a Deaf Community • Decade of democracy leading to true transformation • Policies and legislation are in place • Inclusive philosophy prevails • Lobbying has gone well ……. it seems as if we are not doing enough

  16. Asking the unasked questions …..

  17. What are the issues of concern? • Why such high levels of illiteracy? • Why are most Deaf learners vocationally/skills oriented? • Why do we allow our kids to be chanelled so soon • Why is the distribution of success (h vs D) so different? • Why are educational outcomes so different (content and level) • Why is employment still a problem?

  18. Why aren’t progressive policies implemented • Perhaps we have not thought through the implications…? • Perhaps we have not thought through the strategies (short, medium and long term) • Perhaps we don’t have the resources and need an interim plan • Perhaps we are just not implementing them…?

  19. What does it mean to be a good teacher of the Deaf? • Teacher efficacy • Communication skills • Effective and appropriate discourse • The correct knowledge, skills & attitudes

  20. The unasked questions … • Is Sign Language enough…? • Is Deaf Culture enough…? • Is Bilingualism enough…? • Why reject inclusion in favour of the status quo? • Do we need a new theory…? • Is there a Deaf Pedagogy…?

  21. What needs to be done…? • We need to start asking more questions (both re-asking the old and asking new/ unasked questions) • We need to reflect (and be BOLD) • We need to challenge the status quo (current theories, practices • We should truly aim for equality/

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