Deaf, but definitely not Dumb

To write off a deaf child as simply 'deaf and dumb' is archaic, unkind and simply inaccurate. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Results are just out and in the recent Primary Leaving Exams, two local deaf children and one blind pupil  outperformed their hearing classmates in their final scores! Very impressive.

This extraordinary outcome is due to SNE (special needs education), support in their school, with its more inclusive policy in upper classes. Most children in the unit are either deaf or very hard of hearing. Having passed PLE, the biggest challenge for them now is what next? Sadly, mainstream secondary education is rarely inclusive.

Very occasionally, we find ourselves bending the SD policy on ‘not supporting an individual child, because we support the whole school community, therefore helping many more’. To be honest, we make such a decision on a case by case basis and in consultation with community elders. In such cases, we may decided to specifically support a nominated, disabled child in poverty, (often girls), if they can't access regular secondary education.

One such example is a bright, sparky, ambitious 15 year old in Lukomera, who has been at home since primary school. She has been dreaming of attending tailoring school for a 2 year course. As she is profoundly deaf, she cannot attend WTA. The family situation is complicated, so they cannot fully support her, although they must contribute what they can. The same vocational college offers other practical courses such as carpentry, computer and hairdressing for primary leavers. If you would like more information about supporting other children in similar situations and understand what would be involved, please email me (elspeth@servedirect.org). 

For a children with a disability, from poor families, the opportunity odds are very much stacked against them, which is so common in many developing countries. This is even worse for girls. Providing them with vocational training gives them a lifelong skill, with which they can earn money to support their families and become fully independent in the future.

A better term is surely 'deaf, determined & dynamic'?

 Afterword: In order to improve communication with the SNE children, Connect Education Centre staff at Lukomera took a 4 week, sign language course during the holidays. As a result, they are even better at giving clear instructions & interact much more fluently with their deaf pupils during the dedicated Tuesday sessions. Really good to see such care & commitment in action already.

Sign language training at the CEC