BATOD recognises that some ToDs use the term 'hearing-impaired' synonymously with deaf.

Emerald Hill School for the Deaf, Harare, Zimbabwe

Compiled by Sr Tariro Chimanyiwa O.P.

January 2005

Background history of the School
The school for the deaf came from Midlands Province where it was running for over thirty years. The Dominican sisters who run the school had to move from the mission in 1978 during the height of our liberation war. The parents who were stranded with children in January 1979 came to Mother general of the Dominican sisters and requested that they do something for their deaf children. At that time the Children's home for white and coloured children was half empty, also the laws of the country at that time were changed that black people could live anywhere in the towns.

We reopened the school at Emerald Hill in 1979 in May with about 80 children and five teachers. By the end of the year the number of children had risen to over 140 and most of the teachers could come back to the school for the deaf. After attaining our independence we felt that the school was in the right location. Most children came from the Mashonaland provinces and facilities for the deaf were within reach.

The decision was that we would stay at Emerald Hill. A new school had to be built. The first phase was completed in 1983. This was just primary education. In 1985 we started the secondary education for the deaf. The school kept on expanding because of the demand.

At present the school has 245 students from pre-school to ordinary level. There are two schools in one, the primary and the secondary and there are two heads for the schools. It makes it quite good for us to be allowed two heads since we work very closely together. Our students share the same facilities both in school and in the hostels.

Achievements of the school
The school can be proud that we have produced graduates who are doing well in life. Some have gone to teacher training colleges and are now teaching in the school. Others have even managed to go out of the country to expand their knowledge. Most of them are living happily with their families earning a decent wage.

Problems encountered
Though our students have gone to colleges and universities, they still meet a lot of problems. Their spoken and written languages are not so good. There is no allowance for their disability and yet the Ministry of Education Sport and Culture advocates that they are taught in sign language but there are no interpreters for the students who are in tertiary education.

Provisions for the deaf in the Zimbabwe
There are three big schools for the deaf in the country with an enrolment, on average, 300 students. Then there are units attached to regular school which al over the country. There is very little follow up that is done on the children in the units.

Emerald Hill is the only secondary school for the deaf in the whole country so much so that it is inundated with the demands for secondary education. We can never take more than three students from outside because we have plenty of our own students. Our school is well known in the country for doing well so we get parents trying so hard to get into the school.

The demand for school places is huge. Some parents cannot put their children in our school because they cannot manage the school fees. There is provision however, that the lucky ones will benefit from, ie the Basic Education Assistance Module 'BEAM'. I say some lucky ones because they are so many who apply that the money is not enough go round all those children.

Professional support
There is very little professional support system going on right now as far as both the deaf themselves and the teachers are concerned. The department has been affected by brain-drain that has attacked the country.

Qualifications
In the school there are about 10 specialist teachers among the staff of 50. Many teachers are trained on the job. Some go and specialize after having been in the school for some years. There are several courses offered at a diploma level and the degree level. The full time degree course if two years and the part time degree course done at the Open University is four years. This is where most of the teachers are enrolled.

Remuneration
Specialist teacher do not receive any special remuneration. He/Se is just taken as any ordinary teacher in the country.

Teachers salaries or pay
The pay has improved beginning with this month January. The lowest being about three hundred pounds per month and the heads got about five hundred pounds. It is much better than what we used to get.

In Emerald Hill School we have full time teachers. The students are all resident and it is special school. There are other schools around but not many. Placement of students is not systematic. Parents have to move from school to school looking for places for their children. Each school follows its own system of preparing children for school. A lot of systems that have been in place some years ago have fallen by the way side.

Communication methods between ToDs
As far as I know there is nothing taking place in that line.

Deaf Children

1. Many children are identified in the hospitals and then referred to schools for placement. The Children's Rehabilitation Unit at the Hospitals assist the parents by referring them to different institutions that cater for different disabilities.
2. The children in this school range from four to twenty, pre-school to high school.
3. The children in the primary school are aided. The secondary school students have no hearing aids. Many children in this country do not have hearing aids though a number would benefit if they had some.
4. The ministry of education has a policy that all children should be taught in their mother tongue the first three years of schooling. We are supposed to teach them in sign language. The school is trying to work on the Auditory Natural Aural Method, which will assist children to get some spoken and written language. It has its problems that we find difficult to overcome.
5. The ratio of the teachers is 1:7 which is very good.

Support
There is no support system. No assistant teachers are available. The parents are busy trying to get money to support their children so for them to come for voluntary work it is not possible.

Survey/data collection available
No research done in this area.

Role of the deaf community
They have been very quiet for some time now

Key issues

• The area of deafness has been neglected for a long time.
• The school leavers fall prey to all sorts of problems.
• There is no place they could go when they have problems. They always come back to school for help.

Contact Persons: Sr Tariro Chimanyiwa and Mr Albert Karikoga

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