Melbourne to Bhutan - A Volunteer Journey

Deaf Education in Bhutan

Elizabeth GroverANZCED July 2016

Australian Volunteers for

International Development

June 2013 – July 2014

June 2015 – December 2015

First Teacher of the Deaf to work in Bhutan

Capacity Development is a type of human interaction that, in

the development cooperation context, involves people from

different cultures working together towards shared

development objectives.

Practitioners’ Handbook for Capacity Development- Deborah Rhodes and Ernest Antoine 2013

Capacity Development

Population: 785 971

Geography: 306 kilometres - east to west

145 kilometres - north to south

Religion: 75% Buddhist

22% Hindu

3 % other religions

Life expectancy: 69.47 (2014)

60.7 years (2000)

52.34 (1990)

44.79 years (1980)

Languages: Dzongkha (official)

Nepali

English

Hindi

19 other dialects

BHUTAN - Facts and Figures

Drukgyel

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photo

• 96 students

• Students from all areas of Bhutan

• Majority are boarders

• Age range 6 years – 26 years

• 27 staff

- 1 Principal

- 1 Assistant Principal- 17 teachers- 3 Deaf instructors- 1 office administrator- 1 caregiver- 1 sweeper - 1 hostel matron - girls- 1 hostel warden - boys

Wangsel Institute

• Consultant

• Mentor

• Classroom Teacher

• Professional Development

• Curriculum Planning and Documentation

• Advisor to Ministry of Education, Save the Children

• Workshops to other organisations, schools and Teacher’s College

Volunteer Roles

The Two-stage Child Disability Study 2010-2011 on children 2-9 years

• First disability study in Bhutan

• 11,370 children screened

• 21% of children found to have disabilities

• Hearing disability to have 0.5% prevalence (35 children)

• Of those with a hearing disability,

0.2% mild

0.3% moderate/severe level

UNICEF – 2012

Disability in Bhutan

• Diagnosis of disability limited

• Stigmitised attitudes

• No Early Intervention

• No Post School options

• No Special Education or Teacher of the Deaf courses

• No Deaf associations or organisations

• Most children with disabilities do not attend school

• Lack of resources and services

Disability in Bhutan

Disability in Bhutan

•One Training Centre

- Draktsho Vocational Training Centre

•Two Disability organisations

- Disabled Persons Association of Bhutan

- Ability Bhutan Society

• Two Audiologists in the country

o Testing done in the National Referral Hospital

o Children issued with one hearing aid at time of assessment

• Limited supply of hearing aids and batteries

• No provision for making moulds

• Using donated equipment or supplies from India

Services for the Deaf

1973 Muenselling Institute for Visually Impaired established

2002 First Special Needs Education Unit started

2003 Deaf Unit established in Drukgyel Lower Secondary School

2008 Special Education increased to five schools

2013 Special Education increased to 12 schools

2014 Deaf Education Unit becomes a stand-alone school and renamed

Wangsel Institute

Source: The Centenarian 100 Years of Educating the Nation, Ministry of Education, Royal Government of Bhutan 2013

Timeline of Special Education

2002

• Proposal and Strategy paper written by UNICEF

• Recording of signs by deaf people from Thimphu

2003

• Deaf Education Unit set up at Drukgyel Lower Secondary School by the Ministry of

Education, UNICEF, German Bhutan Health Friends and Christian Blind Mission

International.

• Two teachers recruited

• Two weeks training - how to collect and record Bhutanese Sign Language

• Three deaf students joined

Timeline of Deaf Education

2005

• Two books produced:

Basic English for Deaf in Bhutan (Class PP)

Basic English for Deaf in Bhutan (Class P)

2006

• 20 students placed in Drukgyel Lower Secondary School classes for

academic integration. Students removed from the regular classrooms after

one month

• Dzongkha literacy introduced from Class 2.

Timeline of Deaf Education

2008

• Second sign dictionary published

Bhutanese Sign Language Class 2 and 3 published

2009-2010

• Boys’ and girls’ hostel built by UNICEF and Pro-Bhutan Association

• Provision of pre-vocational program - tailoring, woodcarving and bakery

• Art classes introduced (Japanese volunteer recruited)

2011

• German volunteer – 2 months

• Two Swiss Speech Therapists provided training - 2 months

Timeline of Deaf Education

2013

• Australian Volunteer recruited for 13 months

• Road Map of Deaf Education developed by UNICEF Consultant

• Dzongkha book of handshapes written

2014

• Deaf Education Unit becomes a stand alone school

• New school building plus additional boys’ hostel

• Bhutanese Sign Language Research Project by UNICEF Consultant

Timeline of Deaf Education

2015

• Deaf Education Unit renamed Wangsel Institute

• Australian Volunteer recruited for 6 months

• Team from Thailand provides 10 days instruction on Sign Language

Research Development

2016

• Another Australian Volunteer recruited for 11 months

Timeline of Deaf Education

• Start at class PP (first year of school) irrespective of age

• Class PP – Class IX

• Come from all over the country

• Basic communication - most children arrive at the school with 5-100

home signs or gestures

• Use Bhutanese Sign Language (American based fingerspelling and

counting)

• Follow the Bhutanese Curriculum

The Students

• No Special Education training prior to recruitment

• Limited knowledge of normal language development

• Limited knowledge of Deaf Education

• Limited knowledge of other disabilities

• English is a second language

• Learn sign language on the job

• Learn about teaching deaf students on the job

The Teachers

Deaf Instructors

• No formal schooling

• Have communication competency for everyday topics

• Not aware of the language rules of sign language

• Provide great role models for the students

• Some doing their education alongside the students

• Sign Language Development Research Team

• All students have a profound hearing loss

• Students with additional needs should not be enrolled

• All students with behavioural issues have ADHD

• Students fail because they don’t study hard enough

• Disability is due to ‘bad karma’

• When hearing aids break it, is the student’s fault

Teacher’s Beliefs and Perceptions

That I was going to do all the work

That I was going to fix everything

That I was an expert in all areas – Teaching, Audiology, Sign

Language Linguistics, Speech Pathology, Psychology

Teacher’s Beliefs and Perceptions

“When will they start to read and write properly?

“Why don’t they read and write properly?”

“They don’t learn.”

“But, I taught them yesterday. They should know.”

“We have to teach all this (complex grammar rules). It’s in the curriculum.”

“We don’t know what to do. We’re waiting for the Deaf Curriculum.”

“We don’t have a sign for that, so we can’t teach it.”

“We don’t know what to do!”

Their Questions and Statements

• Frustration and limited understanding about how to cater for each

student’s needs

• Limited understanding of student’s audiological needs and capabilities

• Lack of knowledge of sign language and the rules that govern it

• Confusion and lack of awareness regarding the skill of interpreting

• Limited sign vocabulary – currently approximately 2900 signs

o Teachers waiting for signs to be created

o Many signs complex and elaborate

International Consultancy to support the research and development of additional signs for Bhutanese Sign Language UNICEF October 2014

Challenges for staff

Progress

Developed increased knowledge and understanding of the

complexities of teaching Deaf students

Increased respect and understanding of students with

additional disabilities

Individual Learning Plans written for students with additional

disabilities

Progress in curriculum modifications

Adjustments made to the after school speech program

More field trips (excursions)

More students accessing vocational subjects

Improvements in the teaching of literacy

Modification of exams

Students who failed were not asked to repeat the year

Beginning of understanding that Sign Language means more than

learning vocabulary

Progress

Australian Volunteers for International Development

Australian Red Cross Review December 2014 stated

International Volunteering provided:

Accessible Education in Bhutan

Deaf Education Teacher’s Manual

School curriculum modified to support deaf students

Individualised education plans

Staff more comfortable addressing disability issues

The Future for Deaf Education

Immediate Plans

• Option for students in Class 7 and above to choose between a

vocational stream and an academic stream

• Additional vocational trainers for woodcarving, tailoring and

baking

• Employ past students as teacher assistants

The Future for Deaf Education

• Early Intervention

• Teacher Education

• Parent Education

• Curriculum Modifications

• Audiology Services

• Transition

• Sign Language Development

• Interpreting

Leaving family and friends

Working 6 days a week

Constant disruptions to water

Constant disruptions to electricity

Lack of heating in winter

Water freezing in pipes during winter

Rats

Chilli

Dogs

Challenges as a Volunteer

Rewards

• Living in such a beautiful country

• Respect and gratitude from school staff and community in general

• Immersion in Bhutanese customs, traditions and culture

• Fantastic trekking and wonderful views

• Gaining new lifelong friends

• Writing and publishing a book

Rewards

• Wonderful teachers

• Inspiring students

• Privilege being part of the development of Deaf Education

Rewards