Eduplex is the only mainstream facility where deaf learners receive their education alongside peers with normal hearing. This is achieved through the use of sophisticated hearing gadÂÂgets, a sound academic programme and dedicated teaching staff. It is a parallel medium school offering classes in English and Afrikaans.
Nico van der Merwe, a founder of the Foundation for Children with a Hearing Loss in South Africa, says the emphasis is on developing fluency in spoken language, which paves the way for academic success.
”Development of fluent spoken language is internationally recognised as a prerequisite for academic success. In time this develops a linguistic and social independence that leads to job opportunities applicable to each individual’s ability.”
Van der Merwe says Eduplex’s facilities and environment are adapted to suit the needs of learners with disabilities – not the other way round.
”Our classrooms are acoustically treated, we have doubled the amount of lights in the classrooms to ensure there are no shadows, every teacher is equipped with multi-frequency FM receivers so that each deaf child can clearly hear and we have small classrooms where the ratio is 1:20 with a maximum of five deaf learners.”
Teachers are specially trained in inclusive education and each has a class assistant. The school has a total of 328 learners, 68 of them deaf.
To enable parents to understand and better handle the needs of their children, the school has put together a parent guidance programme.
”This programme is not imposed but designed in such a way that it builds on the elements that parents can easily relate to. We observe how parents interact with their children and work on their strengths,” says acting principal Elsie Struwig.
Van der Merwe adds that special attention and support is given to deaf children, who stay behind after normal school hours. This is so that the support ”does not detract from time available to children with normal hearing”. Support sessions are recorded and made available to parents so they can track the progress of their children.
Talitha Masemola’s son has been through the guidance programme and is pleased with the progress he has made. She had lost hope that her child would ever lead a normal life, and could not communicate with him as she had no knowledge of sign language. An audiologist advised her to try Eduplex.
”Coming here was my last resort. I could not believe the support and the warmth I received from people here. They provided me with everything I needed – clothes, food and a job,” says Masemola. She lives outside Tshwane and travels for two hours every day to reach the school.
Van der Merwe explains: ”On the day she brought her son here, she did not leave but waited outside until school was out; she didn’t have the money to go back home and return later in the afternoon to fetch her child. This touched us, so we decided to give her a cleaning job and we are happy she is part of us.”
He says this reflects their policy on children from disadvantaged communities whose fees are subsidised. He says there are 28 children from poor communities who feel part of the school despite their backgrounds. Assistance is not offered on the basis of colour, but on the learner’s situation.
Eduplex’s curricula combine the South African outcomes-based education approach and the content of the British literacy, mathematics and science syllabuses.
When you enter the schoolyard, nothing suggests you are in a school where there are deaf and hearing-impaired children – especially during break. They frolic about in typical noisy fashion and the fully landscaped and lush grounds are sufficiently spacious to allow them to run about.
There is a big playing area equipped with swings, water features, interactive, herb and sensory gardens, a recycling corner and a pond with a bird aviary. Sport is also part of school life, and activities such as action ball, chess, music, drama and pottery classes are on offer.
Early last year, Eduplex received a bounty of R5million from Phonak – a Swiss-based company that also provides it with high-tech hearing aids – that will be used to build additional classrooms and training facilities.
Van der Merwe says their aim is to make Eduplex an international model of inclusive education and that already visitors from abroad have expressed admiration and confidence in how the school operates.