Deaf Education Discussion Paper 2010

08 June 2010

The Review of Special Education has sought feedback on a broad range of issues. In deaf education there are a number of specific drivers for change.

We would like your help to improve specialist education services for deaf and hearing impaired children and young people. Deaf Education Discussion Paper Presented by: Daniel Harborne [67.95 MB]

The Deaf Education Steering Group has been working over the past 12 months on a range of issues relating to the provision and resourcing of specialist education services and supports across New Zealand for the deaf and hearing impaired. 

Have your say

We have asked three main questions and would be happy to receive your responses either by online submission or in writing.

We would like to receive all comments by 5pm, Monday 28 June. 5pm, Monday 12 July

You can make your submission online or in writing. If you prefer to respond in writing there is a separate sheet of paper you can fill in and post. 

Feedback will be considered in line with feedback to the Review of Special Education to inform advice to the Government.

Contact Details.

• Online: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DeafEducationDiscussionPaper

• Post: Deaf Education Discussion 
  Ministry of Education 
  PO Box 1666 
  Wellington 6140

• Phone: 0800 622 222

• Email: deaf.educationdiscussion@minedu.govt.nz

Confidentiality

Information is being collected from a range of parents, educators and the deaf community to help understand their views on what is required to improve the responsiveness of specialist education services for deaf and hearing impaired children and young people. The information you offer is strictly confidential and no individuals will be identified when the results of this consultation are reported.

Background

New Zealand has a strong history of deaf education. New Zealand is reputed to have established the world's first government funded school for the deaf in Sumner, Christchurch. Over the years, significant advances in the approach to education provision for deaf and hearing impaired children and young people has resulted in increasing numbers being educated in mainstream settings and increased expectations that these children achieve their full potential.

In New Zealand, approximately 2,600 deaf and hearing impaired children and young people receive specialist education support from birth to the time they transition out of school.

Children come from a range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds and receive their education in a range of settings including primary, intermediate and secondary schools, Kura Kaupapa, special units, two deaf education centres (van Asch and Kelston Deaf Education Centres), special schools and through The Correspondence School.

For school-aged children, the resources for specialist services are in addition to the resourcing generated by a student's school enrolment. Approximately $30 million per annum is provided through special education resourcing streams, and around 200 full-time equivalent professional staff are employed in the direct provision of specialist education services for deaf and hearing impaired students.

Recent Changes

The changes brought in by Tomorrows Schools established the two deaf education centres as separate schools with parent-elected boards of trustees. Since that time there have been increasing changes to the way that education for deaf and hearing impaired children has been delivered.

A growing emphasis on early intervention means we are identifying and working with children at an increasingly younger age. We have strengthened the supports which are being provided to parents and whānau well before their children start school. Increasing numbers of deaf and hearing impaired children go to school within their own neighbourhood. At the same time, the majority of those children who continue to enrol with the two deaf education centres attend a satellite programme within a regular school setting.

New services and supports are constantly being added. There have also been substantial advancements in technologies and the adoption of new approaches to communication for children who are deaf or hearing impaired.

Some of this activity, as in the case of the newborn hearing screening programme, has been facilitated through active engagement and coordination between health and education sectors.

In 2006, New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) was adopted as New Zealand's second official language. NZSL has also been included in the new curriculum which came into force in 2010.

Drivers for change

There are a number of factors which have led us to review the current arrangements in terms of providing services for children and young people.

We have listened to and identified:
• challenges in managing the declining core school rolls at both deaf education centres while at the same time managing their growing role as service providers to students attending a local community school

• the high cost to the two deaf education centres and the Ministry of maintaining facilities which are no longer fit for purpose

• concerns expressed from some parents that their children are not being well served through existing service arrangements

• challenges in getting skilled and qualified support staff outside of main urban centres

• concerns that current governance arrangements over these services don't provide appropriate representation or voice for parents and other key stakeholders

• Maori and Pasifika children are disproportionately represented amongst deaf and hearing impaired children and services need to better respond to their needs, including their language needs

• challenges in delivering NZSL education and associated supports for many students

• increasing diversity in the needs of deaf and hearing impaired children requiring increasing specialisation in services

• a lack of flexibility in resource deployment as student profiles, distributions and needs change

• a lack of clarity regarding the roles and accountabilities of various service providers

• a lack of service integration, with families needing to navigate their way through a number of providers

• gaps and duplication in some service coverage and activity

• a rapidly changing technology landscape with significant opportunities to better support education and learning for deaf and hearing impaired children, their families and whānau.

Demographic Changes

More children and young people are living in the North Island and children are increasingly dispersed geographically. See Appendix B. At the heart of the challenge for service provision is supporting a geographically dispersed population across an extensive number of schools and supporting a population grouped in an urban area.

There has been a shift from rural to urban centres, and from the south to the north. There is an increasing concentration of children in the greater Auckland area. At the same time there are deaf and hearing impaired children throughout the education system, including in rural and remote communities.

The core school roll for the two specialist schools has continued to decline. Between 2000 and 2009 the roll at Kelston fell by 31 students. The roll at van Asch fell by 15. The majority of enrolled children attend satellite programmes within a regular school setting.

Early detection, technological advances, and broadening expectations

Deaf and hearing impaired children have the best chance of getting the most from their education when their hearing loss is identified early in life. In 2007 universal newborn hearing screening was introduced which is identifying deaf and hearing impaired children earlier. This has resulted in a growth in demand for early intervention services.

Technology to improve access for deaf and hearing impaired students continues to develop and become increasingly sophisticated; for example, cochlear implant technology and information communication technologies such as internet access, text messaging, instant captioning and video conference technology.

With early detection and technological advances come increased expectations of types of service delivery and opportunities for innovation, in terms of new approaches as well as opportunities to address existing challenges.

In recognising NZSL as an official language, there are expectations that children using sign are supported to develop language acquisition, to access education through NZSL and to access opportunities for interaction with peers. This has implications for the types of services needed to support children who use NZSL within the range of education settings.

Approximately 40% of deaf and hearing impaired children have non-hearing related special education needs. This has implications for ensuring these children can access special education services that can meet their range of different needs.

Options on Deaf Education Service Provision Models Options and Questions Presented by: Daniel Harborne [78.88 MB]

We have identified key criteria that we believe enable services to better meet the needs of deaf and hearing impaired children and young people. Services need to be able to:
• adapt to changes in population demographics, social philosophies and increasing diversity and specialisation of the needs of children and young people who are deaf or hearing impaired
• take advantage of current and future opportunities
• foster development of a skilled and adaptable workforce and
• make the best use of existing funds to support the achievement of educational outcomes for deaf and hearing impaired children.