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| Mohamad Sazali Shaari, the President of Malaysian Federation of Deaf (MFD) |
Plucked from The STAR online, Sept 18th 2013
PETALING JAYA: There are 55,000 hearing-impaired individuals registered with social welfare, but less than 20 are currently pursuing their education at a local university.
“The primary obstacle is a lack of acceptable grades in languages, mostly English” says Mohamad Sazali Shaari, President of the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf (MFD), who is Deaf himself.
Yet, there is government-sponsored affirmative action in place that gives the deaf preferential university entrances.
On top of that, some private institutions are offering fee reductions ranging from 50-70% to Deaf students.
Yet most Deaf students end their studies after going through polytechnics and vernacular programmes.
Most universities expect credits in English and Bahasa Malaysia, at least, before a student is considered eligible. Overcoming the language barrier is an uphill task, says Sazali.
“If we cannot hear, how can we speak? The sounds you make are also important in language”
“Poorly-qualified teachers are the main problem. Often, they get sent to special schools and are tasked with Deaf education even though they are not proficient in sign language,” he said.
“So, how can they teach effectively?
“Teachers of the Deaf must be specially-skilled in extending the meaning of language to students."
"Otherwise, pupils will not be able to understand subtle linguistic nuances. Sometimes, teachers are switched and assigned to areas out of their expertise."
According to Sazali, teachers without any special education background or those with qualifications to teach other disabilities end up with Deaf students. In these cases, both teachers and students end up becoming victims, he said.
The recent Malaysian Education Blueprint also recognised the shortage of qualified Special Education teachers and the need for disabled-friendly facilities in schools.
To help fix the problem, all teachers will be provided basic special education training modules at IPGs (Institut Pendidikan Guru) and public universities.
Existing special education programmes will also be strengthened and additional initiatives will be undertaken such as forming partnerships with other organisations to help improve support for special needs students.
Sazali recommended that all teachers in Deaf schools be made to have sign language certification before being posted.
“Having only Special Education credentials for teachers is not enough if we want Deaf students to succeed in schools,” he says.
No reply to questions posed by The Star Online has been received from the Special Education Department of the Ministry of Education as to the predicament of teachers and Deaf students in schools and universities.
I am plucking this special paragraph knowing that Deaf are the only few to study in a few of local Universities. It is true that each of Deaf schools need the qualified Sign Language teacher with understanding of Deaf Cultural will be able to do the well in class. With my own experienced as a Deaf student in a Deaf school, there are experienced sign language teachers + understandable of Deaf Culture, they were able to teach the Deaf students (both the weak and brilliant in language). Of course some are not doing well in language, but excellent in art. Compared to unqualified sign language teachers and not really into the world of Deaf Cultural, it is admitted that they faced the difficulty in teaching the language to the Deaf students. To improve the standard of special education system especially in Deaf schools, they should know how to get along well with the students' weakness to the better way in class. To have the play + study in class is important all the time as the Deaf students get bore fast especially when it comes to language. Teacher has to get the point to make all of them to love language by telling some interesting of jokes, short stories, visitations and exchange ideas will help this system much to get improve.
Deaf students are ain't that so weak, they just need your help with full attention of affection. They will be do well in studies and sports too.
Being a role of teacher should play the right attitudes : Patience, Understanding and Flexible = SUCCESSful teacher to the Deaf student. be PASSION!
In other hand, parents are also the main important role for a Deaf child. Parents should give the full attention of affection and patience toward a Deaf child in everything. Take a Deaf child like your own. Do not ever neglect her/him for being a handicap. A Deaf child is a wonderful who will always have the compassion to love you all in return. Parents who learn sign language to communicate with their Deaf child is the key to enable him/her to do well in language. She/He will be able to master the language fast with the right proper is given education by parents. Communication in the family house is very important to a Deaf child to see, understand and learn with everybody, he/she will be able to gain a lot of knowledges to share with, live a meaningful life, enjoy and love by its nature will have the bright side for her/his future.
With such effective ways of system will bring the successful to enable More Deaf to get into local Universities.
