Deaf students who sign can join mainstream primary school from 2018

SINGAPORE – From 2018, deaf students who use sign language to communicate can attend a mainstream primary school. Currently, they go to one of two Special Education schools.

The Education Ministry (MOE) announced this on Tuesday (Sept 20) as part of its enhancement of support for deaf students who sign.

Students with moderate to severe hearing loss, but with adaptive skills to learn in large-group settings can join their mainstream peers in school with this change. The to-be-confirmed primary school will be centrally located and is expected to accept its first batch of deaf students in 2018. MOE said more details will be released later.

MOE also announced that Beatty Secondary School will replace Balestier Hill Secondary School and Boon Lay Secondary School as the school designated for deaf students who sign at the secondary level. It will commence its Secondary One intake from next year.

As there are currently only 15 such students at the secondary level, MOE said having them in one school will allow for better pooling and strengthening of specialised resources, as well as provide students with a greater sense of community, with more opportunities for mutual communication through signing, social interactions and peer support.

Outram Secondary School and St Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School will continue to cater to deaf students who do not require sign language to communicate.

MOE said designating a mainstream primary and secondary school will provide opportunities for deaf students who sign to study and play alongside their mainstream peers in and outside of classroom lessons. It will also allow for a more seamless continuum of educational and community support for them that is important for their social-emotional development.

Designated schools have trained teachers to support deaf students. They provide a range of school-based support, including sign interpretation, in-class and pull-out academic support, social emotional support, and assistance in the use of Assistive Technology devices, such as FM systems.

Dr Janil Puthucheary, Minister of State for Education, said: “This is a further extension of the support programmes MOE has in place for students with moderate to severe hearing loss who communicate through signing. Giving our students the opportunity to interact with and learn from one another is a very encouraging step towards forging a more inclusive society.”

President of Singapore Association for the Deaf Irene Yee said: “This is an exciting time for all of us as this is a good step forward in providing quality education for deaf children. Sign language will be used as the language of conversation and to support instruction for such students in these schools.

“We are certain that deaf students will benefit tremendously from the integration with their hearing peers in the mainstream designated primary school. The provision of learning support for these students will also help them progress towards leading fulfilling lives and work towards building an inclusive society in Singapore.”