Deafness : Inclusion and Deafness Report Contents

Inclusion and Deafness Seminar

University of Manchester, June 14th 1999

Developing Inclusive Services in Papua New Guinea

Sian Tesni, Christoffel Blinden Mission
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7.1 This paper described the process of developing a more inclusive education service in Papua New Guinea. The Ministry of Education worked in partnership with Callan Services for Disabled Persons and with the financial and technical support of Christoffel Blinden Mission (CBM). Below is a summary of the key points arising from the paper:

(a) Papua New Guinea (PNG) has a rural population of 4 million people and there is one day school for Deaf children in the capital city, Port Moresby.

(b) In 1991 the Government decided to introduce changes in the pre-service training of teachers in order to achieve inclusive education.

(c) Callan Services (for Disabled Persons), a national NGO, developed a three-year special education curriculum, which could be incorporated into the existing teacher education programme. They did this with the support of Christoffel Blinden Mission (CBM).

(d) The curriculum included units on hearing impairment and deafness.

(e) Each of the 10 teacher training colleges is within reach of a Special Education Resource Centre (SERC). These centres provide essential hands-on, community-based support to the student teachers.

(f) Callan Services established a community-based 'home contact' scheme, an inclusive kindergarten and pre-school, and a screening programme.

7.2 It took over two years to develop this service. Some of the positive aspects are outlined below:

(a) The family and community are exposed to, and educated about, the needs of Deaf children;

(b) Hearing and Deaf children learn to communicate with each other in a free and open environment without preconceived prejudices or fears;

(c) Teachers communicate fluently through Sign Language, when necessary;

(d) Hearing children grow up signing freely and naturally with Deaf children. As the children grow together through to the primary level, the hearing children act as interpreters for teachers who have not yet learnt Sign Language or do not sign fluently;

(e) Deaf children, and their need for signed communication, are accepted within the community.

(f) The Deaf community has an important role to play in providing support both at the community level and within the education system. Deaf adults generally have a positive role to play within rural communities in PNG and are allowed to inherit, whereas people with certain other disabilities do not have this right. Deaf adults marry and contribute to village life in their role as craftsmen and gardeners. A few examples have been cited where communities with several Deaf members have developed their own signed communication system.

Deafness : Inclusion and Deafness Report Contents

22/10/1999