For You
Deaf Education
Deaf children and their families/whanau have the right to equal and appropriate access to the National Curriculum and educational services through the provision of staff proficient in NZSL. However, there are still many barriers that Deaf children and their families face.
For Deaf students
There are a limited number of teachers fluent in NZSL, and limited availability of NZSL interpreters in mainstreamed schools. This means in their classrooms, Deaf students do not have an equal access as their hearing peers.
For hearing students
While many schools offer students the opportunity to learn Māori or a foreign language, NZSL is not offered as a subject despite being an official language. Deaf Aotearoa wants to encourage all NZ schools to offer NZSL.
A number of organisations provide Deaf Education in New Zealand. Each has a clear role and works collaboratively with the others to provide services to the Deaf child, their families and their schools.
Deaf Education Centres
Deaf Education Centres provide preschool services and schooling for day students (including satellite classes within mainstream schools), and for those staying within the Deaf Education Centre's own residential facilities.
The Deaf Education Centre also provides regional mainstream and resource services through the Resource Teachers of the Deaf and Specialist Services. Information and resources are available for sign language and spoken language, literacy, Deaf studies and other information is available on their websites. Courses are provided for classroom teachers and families.
Kelston Deaf Education Centre in Auckland services those in the northern part of the North Island. Find out more at www.kelston.school.nz
Van Asch Deaf Education Centre in Christchurch provides services to the remaining parts of the North Island and the whole of the South Island. Find out more at www.vanasch.school.nz
Ministry of Education Special Education Service
The Ministry of Education's Group Special Education (GSE) has Advisors on Deaf Children working throughout New Zealand. They work with newly-diagnosed deaf children and their families as well as the circle of people working around Deaf children in schools. You can contact them through your local Ministry of Education office or visit www.minedu.govt.nz
The Ministry of Education has recently developed an online resource to make it much more fun and easy to teach and learn NZSL. This resource also complements the New Zealand Sign Language curriculum in the NZ Curriculum. The Thumbs Up! Website has information about Deaf culture, NZSL units, video clips and a series of worksheets for students.
Find Thumbs up! at www.nzsl.tki.org.nz
NZ Federation for Deaf Children
The NZ Federation for Deaf Children provides a wealth of support for parents of Deaf children and their families. There are local parent groups throughout New Zealand. Find out more at www.deafchildren.org.nz
The Family Book is also very useful book for parents and children, which you can enquire NZFDC about.
Lastly, let’s not forget Deaf parents of hearing students
Deaf parents may need the services of interpreters to understand and fully participate in their child/ren’s school activities such as fundraising & sports events, PTA meetings and parent/teacher interviews.
In addition, many hearing parents have little understanding of Deaf parents' and their culture/values. It would be ideal if schools provided NZSL or Deaf Awareness workshops on this for hearing parents.
Resources
There are a number of resources and workshops available to support Schools, Deaf children, their families and whanau.
DEAFinitely Signing and DEAFinitely Aware courses
The Family Book
More resources can be found here
