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22 September 2022 | Story Kelebogile Olivier | Photo Supplied
Kelebogile Olivier
Kelebogile Olivier, Criminology Lecturer and Secretary of the University of the Free State Women’s Forum
Opinion article by Kelebogile Olivier, Lecturer in the Department of Criminology, and Secretary of the University of the Free State Women’s Forum.
The World Federation of the Deaf declared September to be Deaf Awareness Month in the 1950s. The Deaf Federation of South Africa (DeafSA) and the South African National Deaf Association (SANDA) both promote awareness of the rights of Deaf persons in South Africa. During Deaf Awareness Week, deaf people are highlighted for their accomplishments and challenges (Deaf Awareness 2022) There growing is awareness about hearing loss, deafness, Deaf culture, and sign language. By understanding deafness and the culture of the deaf community, hearing people can better understand deafness. This year's theme is Building Inclusive Communities for all through the promotion of deafness, Sign Language, and Deaf culture. This piece is a personal reflection of my experiences as a parent of a child who has hearing loss.

Access South African Sign Language as a medium of education 

The education of deaf and hard-of-hearing learners is influenced by several factors both negatively and positively. The lack of Deaf role models for deaf learners, the lack of recognition of South African Sign Language (SASL) as a Language of Learning and Teaching (LOLT), and the lack of fluency in SASL among teachers are some of these factors (Magongwa, 2010). 

The education system is considering bi-modal communication. However, the challenge is finding schools where sign language is taught. A school such as Carel du Toit special school in Bloemfontein has a vision to teach spoken language and support children with hearing impairments. Therefore, it does not offer sign language as a language of education.

Baritimea School for blind and hearing-loss children is an alternative school situated outside Bloemfontein which teaches sign language. One thing about this school is that the kids learn sign language and are confident in their communication. It has an excellent teaching and learning vision which it has managed to actively reach. 

The use of sign language in South Africa has advanced greatly. South African Sign Language (SASL) is set to become the 12th official language of the country after government regulations were passed recently. SASL will now be recognised by the Department of Basic Education as a home language and part of the national school curriculum in grades R-12 under the gazetted amendment. This means that deaf learners will now be able to select SASL as a home language in schools. The department has also made amendments on the passing criteria for learners who select SASL as a home language in schools.

As SASL is the first language for most members of the deaf community, these positive changes will significantly impact learners’ ability to excel in school. “This Regulation is called the Amendment Regulations pertaining to the National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12, 2022 and will come into effect on the date of publication in the Government Gazette.” A growing number of South Africans are fluent in the language, and this will ultimately lead to a more inclusive language and a greater appreciation of deaf culture.

Firsthand experience and the rollercoaster of parenting a child with hearing impairment

I found out about my son’s hearing impairment in the middle of 2018, based on pure maternal instinct. I took the decision to have him assessed by a speech therapist believing he had a simple speech problem. In that initial assessment, it was confirmed that the problem was not speech but that he has severe hearing loss. So began the journey to what felt like a million tests and hospital visits. That year alone my son was under anesthesia more than four times.

Initially, he was fitted with hearing aids, which medical aid did not cover. Other costs included an unbudgeted R30 000 the audiologist charged for the devices. He had grommets fitted by an ENT, his hearing was tested while under anesthesia, and his hearing was tested various times until hearing aids were confirmed not to be the best option for him. 

Due to the severity of his hearing loss, towards the end of 2018, a decision was made to fit him with cochlear implants. With all this technology, a weekly speech therapy appointment, constant mapping, and regular audiograms, we were well on the way to a speaking child. Unfortunately, despite implants, the speech progress was delayed.

Personal interaction with the deaf community 

My first experience of deaf communities and the challenges they face daily in simply trying to communicate and navigate a world that is designed not for them began in my undergraduate year module, introduction to sign language. Although some communities, organisations, and institutions of higher education have tried to move toward inclusivity, one does not need to look too deep to notice that the world is not designed for people with any type of impairment, especially in developing nations.

My experience of the deaf community felt like a mere drop in the ocean when 10 years post my undergraduate learning, I could not engage in a conversation with a deaf person. My limited experience and knowledge of deafness and the community were emphasised when my son was diagnosed with severe hearing loss. I realised there is so much to learn and navigating deafness is sometimes a lonely space, until you find even just one person to help you into the deaf society.

We are now considering bi-modal communication. In addition to working on his speech and hearing, we plan to use sign language to support it, especially for educational purposes. Although progress has been made towards inclusivity, we still have a long way to go.

Positive school experiences for deaf or hearing-impaired children

Deaf children should have the same experiences of schooling as every other child in the country. A clean school, a bright and safe playground, and access to sports facilities at the school. This alone would make a difference in how they experience the world as deaf and hearing-impaired children. Rather than the frustration they face daily, they need to have hope that this world will improve. Their safe spaces should at least be exactly that, safe! 

News Archive

State of our campuses: UFS closes campuses until Friday 28 October 2016 to readjust academic programme
2016-10-15

UFS announces strategy for completion of the 2016 academic year

Agreement between UFS management and student leadership in relation to residences

After almost four weeks of student protests about fees at the University of the Free State (UFS) and the subsequent suspension of the academic programme and closing of campuses, the senior leadership announced on 14 October 2016 a strategy to ensure that students will be able to complete the 2016 academic year.

The university on 13 October 2016 announced that it will shut down its Bloemfontein and South Campuses until 28 October 2016 for crucial and complex arrangements to be put in place to readjust the academic calendar and ensure that all students can complete their studies. The senior leadership did, however, make it clear that the university will not be shutting down for the remainder of 2016.

No teaching and learning activities at undergraduate and honours level will be offered between 17 October and 28 October 2016. The university will re-start teaching and learning at undergraduate and honours level in the first week of November 2016.

However, teaching and learning will not take place in the classrooms during November 2016, but through a different mode of delivery that consists of a combination of printed and recorded lectures, study materials and learning aids that will be provided by the university and delivered through Blackboard. In this manner no attempts at disrupting the rest of the academic year will affect our students’ academic programme. Students, however, will sit for the exam on campus.

Students in residence accommodation can return to campus as from 29 October 2016 and it is recommended that students who do not have off-campus internet access return to campus in order to access study material to complete the academic year.A new timetable for exams is still being developed and will be communicated as soon as the arrangements have been finalised.

Faculties have been differently affected by the loss of teaching time. Some faculties like the Faculty of Law have completed their curriculum, while other faculties like the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences require more teaching time. Some faculties, like the Faculty of Health Sciences, cannot do teaching through alternative modes of delivery.

The needs of the different faculties have been taken into account for developing a rescue plan to complete the 2016 academic year.

  • The Faculty of Health Sciences will continue its classes and clinical rotations as normal for all three schools on the Bloemfontein Campus and in the relevant hospitals. All students registered in programmes in the Faculty of Health Sciences will stay in residences for the full period of their studies and exams. Final-year medical students will graduate in December 2016 as expected.
  • In the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, final-year students for the Certificate in the Theory of Accounting (CTA) will stay on campus during October through to December 2016 and their classes and tests will not change.
  • Arrangements for all other faculties and programmes are being prepared and within the next week, students and parents/guardians will receive communication about how curriculum content will be completed and when the final exams will take place.
  • The university is extending the academic year so that we can recuperate all the lost teaching and learning time. The qualifications conferred on the 2016 class will be of the same quality and standards as all UFS qualifications.

The UFS is and will remain a fundamentally contact teaching and learning education university. However, under the current circumstances faced not only by the UFS, but higher-education institutions across the country, the best way of ensuring the integrity of the academic programmes in most faculties is by using an alternative way of teaching and learning. Other South African universities have chosen the same approach to be able to complete the academic year.

Instead of students going to class, they will have content delivered to them where they are (library, computer labs, their own computers, etc.) through Blackboard and printed and electronic material. This is a different way of learning but students will be carefully guided and supported.

Faculties are currently preparing all the necessary materials and instructions to support student learning.Standards and quality will be the same as if students were attending classes. Some faculties require practical laboratory work as part of their curriculum. The exam timetable will be adapted for these students to be able to complete their practical work when the academic activities commences in November 2016. The relevant faculties will communicate the schedule of practical work directly to the students.

Students in their final year will complete their studies during 2016. It is possible that in some cases the graduation ceremony for these students will be in June 2017 instead of April 2017. This will not prejudice students with bursaries, or committed employment in law firms or other businesses. The university will provide the necessary academic transcripts as proof of the completion of the relevant qualifications. None of these changes will affect postgraduate students.

The university will maintain regular communication with students and parents/guardians to update them on the new exams timetable.Faculties will communicate directly with students about issues related to their programmes.

“One of the areas in which significant progress was made, is that we were able to agree on a basis for stability with student leaders. The student protests occurred during an important time in the university’s academic calendar and the readjustment of our academic programme has put tremendous pressure on academic and support services staff, and created anxieties for parents,” said Prof Nicky Morgan, Acting Rector of the UFS.

“The senior leadership restates its commitment to free education as well as its willingness to stand together with students and other public universities to impress on government the urgency to decide on a time frame for the roll-out of free higher education for the poor and missing middle. We will use the next two weeks to meet with the leadership of Universities South Africa to coordinate collective action in this regard. We will furthermore also roll out a series of activities to inform and educate students and the general public on different models and experiences of providing free higher education,” he said.

The strategy to readjust the 2016 academic year is applicable to students on the Bloemfontein and South Campuses.


Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

 

State of our campuses #15: UFS closes campuses until Friday 28 October 2016 to readjust academic programme

State of our campuses #14: All academic activities on UFS campuses remain suspended on 13 and 14 October 2016

State of our campuses #13: Availability of information about plans for remainder of UFS 2016 calendar year

State of our campuses #12: All academic activities at UFS campuses suspended for 11 and 12 October 2016

State of our campuses #11: Academic activities on UFS campuses continue

State of our campuses #10: Impact of non-completion of the 2016 academic year on UFS students 

State of our campuses #9: Academic programme on all UFS campuses to resume on Monday 10 October 2016

State of our campuses #8:  UFS extends vacation as from 28 September until 7 October 2016, 28 September 2016

State of our campuses #7: All three UFS campuses will be closed today, 27 September 2016.

State of our campuses #6: All UFS campuses reopen on Tuesday 27 September 2016

State of our campuses #5: UFS campuses to remain closed on Monday 26 September 2016

State of our campuses #4: Decisions about the UFS academic calendar

State of our campuses #3: UFS campuses closed until Friday 23 September 2016 

State of our campuses #2: UFS Bloemfontein and South Campuses closed on Tuesday 20 September 2016 (19 September 2016)

State of our campuses #1: Academic activities suspended on UFS Bloemfontein Campus (19 September 2016)

 

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