"Are the minds of deaf people different from the minds of hearing people?" This is a question I asked my self on the way to HENRY MURRAY SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, and its a question whose answer(s) is important to improving the education of deaf students. My task was to write an article for the first psychology news letter of the Great Zimbabwe University Psychology department but I took a keen interest in understanding the psychology of deaf people so as to improve their education. I looked at the status-quo of deaf education and came up with a few recommendations one of which i decided to post on my blog.
It is very important to first note that the mere existence of schools for the deaf in particular indicates that the nation of Zimbabwe is aware of the importance of availing education to the deaf in a way that is suitable for them and produces the most desirable results. In writing this I therefore take nothing away from the efforts of the state and nation of Zimbabwe in this regard, instead I seek to add to this effort. When I asked myself whether the minds of deaf people were different from those of hearing people, I found out two other important things apart from the answer to the question. The first thing that I found out was that the ignorance of the answer to this question is a great cause of the problems and loopholes in the education of the deaf. The second is that "the powers that be" continuously over look the importance of the answer to this question. so what is the answer to this question? Lets find out.
"Are the minds of deaf people different from the minds of hearing people?"
YES. certainly. according to Bellugi (1988), a prelingually deaf person who grew up using sign language as his native language thinks in signs rather than words. Thinking in signs and pictures rather than words constitutes a mental process that is radically different from the norm. This is one example to show that the minds of deaf people are different from those of hearing people although its not to say that the brains of deaf people are different from those of hearing people. So why is the knowledge of this difference important? Lets find out below.
IMPORTANCE OF THE DIFFERENCE
Knowing that the minds of deaf people are different from those of hearing people is in itself indicative of the fact that the different forms of and media for communication used in educating deaf and hearing people should be maintained even in assessment. I strongly feel and therefore suggest that assessing deaf students by the same methods used to assess hearing students is due to lack of knowledge of the difference in minds or trivialization of the difference. One of these reasons is certainly the cause of the status quo in deaf education in Zimbabwe.
THE STATUS QUO
The deaf's right to education is upheld and there are schools where they learn. an example of a school which is particularly for the deaf is HENRY MURRAY SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, which offers primary education. Sign language is used in their education. they use the same syllabi those of the mainstream education and they are examined using the same examinations as those used to examine mainstream students.
THE PROBLEM
Academic success is greatly suppressed among deaf students (not to say that they all don't succeed but rather that more could succeed) because of the current system of examination. Deaf students are being examined by a different way from that by which they are taught and as such the examination system is not completely accommodating to deaf students.
RECOMMENDATION
The state as per the dictates of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Amendment (20) Act, in section 22 (2) and (3) (b) should by all means possible ensure that deaf students are examined through the same or at least similar media as those by which they are taught. When this is achieved, equality will also be achieved (however rare the simultaneous existence and or achievement of equity and equality may be). Such a step is a huge step towards a truly accommodating education system.
