Towards bilingual education of deaf children

Description

The project objective is to develop recommendations for systemic solutions concerning introduction of bilingual education for deaf children in Poland. The document with recommendations will be prepared using experiences from Norway, where in the process of introducing bilingual education for deaf children problems such as the right to learn in the place of residence or using the potential of special education institutions were resolved. The recommendations will then be consulted in the group of persons directly engaged in deaf children education in Poland (e.g. deaf persons, parents, teachers). Then the recommendations will be re-drafted using comments from participants of the consultations. Recommended model of bilingual education of deaf persons will be disseminated throughout Poland. The project will help to implement the provisions of Art. 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Summary of project results

In Poland, children with defective hearing are taught according to the same program as hearing children. But defective hearing has a bearing on the process of mastering Polish language by children, and thus on ways and the pace of learning. Among children with defective hearing are also individuals who, to develop emotionally, intellectually and socially, and to learn Polish language, need to use the sign language in their education. So far, Poland has no comprehensive education offer taking into account the needs of the group of children. The aim of the project was to propose a model of combined bilingual education for deaf children in Poland, together with a description of activities and resources necessary for its implementation. As a result of the project, the first material on bilingual approach to education of deaf children was published in Poland, titled Towards bilingual education of deaf children in Poland (accessible online at www.pzg.lodz.pl/edukacja). The publication presents a model of bilingual education of deaf children, a report from desk research, guidelines for 4 ministries and proposed activities necessary to introduce bilingual education. In the consultations of the model participated 459 persons from all over Poland. Another 444 persons got acquainted with the prepared model of bilingual education during the promotional campaign. The knowledge gained and the contacts started allowed for starting works on opening the Information Centre for Parents of Children with Defective Hearing (CIRDUS) that will perform the following tasks: distribution in maternity hospitals of a letter to parents of newborn children with defective hearing, maintaining information Internet page, and starting information call centre for parents. Under the project, 20 open consultation meetings were organised, as well as 4 expert seminars, 16 popular lectures and a nationwide conference. Both the meetings and materials prepared during the project were translated to the Polish sign language. The project activities covered teachers, pedagogues and speech therapists for deaf children, speech therapists, psychologists, parents, lectors and translators of the Polish sign language, academics, representatives of education authorities, members of the community of deaf people, workers of psychological and pedagogical advisory centres, students. In the project activities, over 300 deaf persons participated as experts, participants of consultations, lectures and conferences.

Summary of bilateral results