CHALLENGES FACED BY BLIND AND DEAF LEARNERS REGARDING FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND

BRAILLE MATERIALPortfolio Committee on Public Service and

Administration

Presentation: Department of Basic Education

OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION• Challenges faced by Blind learners• Progress in Respect of Deliverables–What has been done–Overview of DBE Braille Initiatives –Progress - Adapted Workbooks–Plans for 2013

• Challenges faced by Deaf learners–What has been done?–Plans for 2013

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Challenges Faced by Blind learners

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CHALLENGES FACED BY BLIND LEARNERS

• Majority of Blind learners do not have early access to ECD programmes for stimulation and preparation for school in:–Textile discrimination for introduction to

Braille–Orientation and mobility instruction for

use of white canes and independent movements

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CHALLENGES FACED BY BLIND LEARNERS…Systemic challenges:

Limited availability of Braille instructors Limited availability of Orientation and Mobility instructors

employed in schools Majority of teachers (about 80%) lack appropriate skills

including Braille Only two (2) of the 22 schools for the Blind are capable of

producing Braille materials for their learners Inadequate and unmaintained equipments across 20

schools for the Blind including Tiger Pro for printing graphs Independent Living curriculum not offered in most schools

for the Blind

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Progress in Respect of Deliverables

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WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?• Conducted an audit in all schools for the Blind in 2009/10• 200 district officials and SMTs (including from Schools for

the Deaf) participated in specialised training in visual impairment in March 2011

• A workshop was conducted with experts in areas of visual impairment to develop a framework for teacher training programmes in July 2012

• Grade R-9 workbooks were adapted for Braille production in 2012

• 60 teachers for Maths and Science were trained in technical codes of the Unified Braille Code (UBC) in December 2012

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WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?...• A teacher training programme was finalised by experts in a

workshop held on 6 March 2013 for rollout in 2013/14• 118 titles were selected from national catalogue for Brailling

and R28m has been made available for producing master copies

• Adapted workbooks submitted to Pioneer printers and Braille SA for printing and distribution to the 22 schools for the Blind

• Daisy technology is being explored to expedite access to information for Blind and low vision learners

• DBE participated in an investigation on Braille production in SA commissioned by Department of Arts and Culture

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OVERVIEW OF DBE BRAILLE INITIATIVES

•Adaptation of workbooks•Printing of selected workbook titles•Meeting with Pioneer Printers•Meeting with Stakeholders• Augmentative Alternative Communication•Appointment – Deaf Communication•Grade R adaptation•Braille Code Workshop

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PROGRESS – ADAPTED WORKBOOKS

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BRAILLE MASTER COPIES (578 books)

Totals Adapted Large Print adaptations

Printing Progress

Gr. R - 4 terms in 11 languages

44 Terms 1 – 3 Completed and print ready in all languages except 2

Not yet done Volume 1 and 2 completed in all languages

Gr. 1 - 6 Home Languages, Bk. 1 and 2 in 11 languages

132 Completed Gr 1 – 4 designs completed

Gr. 1 - 6 Bk. 1 and 2 English FAL

12 Gr. 3 – 6 Completed Not yet done

Gr. 1 - 3 Life Skills in 11 languages

66 Completed in English Not yet done

Gr. 1 - 3 Maths Bk. 1 and 2 in 11 languages

66 Completed in all languages

Completed Grade 1 Volume 1 completed in all languages

Gr. 4 - 9 Maths Bk. 1 and 2 (Eng, Afr.)

24 Completed in English

Gr. 4 – 7 in Afrikaans

Not yet done

•Sub-totals: 344

PROGRESS – ADAPTED WORKBOOKS…

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BRAILLE MASTER COPIES (578 books)

Totals Adapted Large Print adaptations

Printing Progress

Teacher GuidesGr. R 44 CompletedGr. 1 – 9 Languages, Maths and Life Skills

In process

ToolkitsGrade R - 9 Home Language and Maths Toolkits for 22 schools

Developed and costed

PLANS FOR 2013• Train teachers from all 22 schools for the Blind in on quality

education and use of assistive technology by March 2014• Train 129 grade 1 teachers on uncontracted Braille by May

2013• Train 560 grade 2 teachers on contracted Braille by

September 2013• Engaging HEIs in reviewing Teacher Education Programmes

both at Pre- and In-service levels• Developing HR Provisioning norms for an inclusive system• Coordinating the printing and distribution of workbooks for

grades R-9 to all schools for the Blind

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PLANS FOR 2013…• Managing the production of 118 master copies

of CAPS textbooks• Coordinate the procurement of Brailled

textbooks by PEDs• Equipping all 9 provincial Vodacom ICT centres

with assistive technology for learners who are Blind and partially sighted and link respective schools

• Vodacom ICT Centres t providing specialised training to teachers for visually impaired

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Challenges Faced by Deaf Learners

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CHALLENGES FACED BY DEAF LEARNERS• Early identification of deafness • Majority of Deaf children not having

early access ECD programmes for stimulation and development of Sign Language• Majority of Deaf children are born out

of hearing parents and thus enter school without the requisite language

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CHALLENGES FACED BY DEAF LEARNERS…Challenges of systemic nature:– About 80% teachers in schools for the Deaf unable to use Sign

Language– No nationally approved South African Sign Language

curriculum– Few Deaf learners progress beyond grade 12– Deaf learner boarders do not have access to hostel and

support staff equipped with Sign Language– Not all classes for the Deaf have Deaf Teacher Assistants– Majority of schools for the Deaf do not have requisite

equipments e.g. For recording learner assessment activities– Teachers not provided with guidelines for utilising workbooks– Few schools have audio equipment and audiologists

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WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?• District officials and SMTs (among 200 officials)

participated in training in specialised areas of Deaf Education in March 2011

• A two-day workshop held with experts in July 2012 to develop a framework to inform teacher development activities up to 2014

• Minister established a Curriculum Management Team (CMT) to manage and provide oversight to development of South African sign Language (SASL) curriculum grades R-12 in 2011

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WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?...• Draft SASL curriculum grades R-12 and grade 9

Bridging Programme developed and finalised in December 2012

• Phased-in Implementation Plan of the SASL curriculum developed in 2012

• Reference Group identified and consulted throughout the development of the SASL curriculum

• Developed Teacher Guides for workbooks utilisation

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PLANS FOR 2013• Finalising the SASL curriculum grades R-12 for

approval and rollout from 2014• Conducting an audit in all 44 schools for the Deaf to

establish state of readiness to implement the curriculum

• Piloting the grade 9 Bridging Programme in two schools for the Blind respectively in GP and WC

• Preparing the system for the phased-in implementation of the SASL curriculum including training teachers of implementing grades and resourcing the implementation where needed

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PLANS FOR 2013…• Developing HR Provisioning Norms for an

inclusive system to also benefit Deaf learners• Mediating Teacher Guides on the utilisation of

workbooks• Progressively training teachers on early

identification of hard-of-hearing and Deafness• Progressively training teachers in specialised

skills on Deafness and Deaf culture

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THANK YOU

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