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Teachers Can Use American Sign Language In Ontario's Schools
TORONTO, July 12 /CNW/ - The McGuinty government is improving the
learning environment for students who are deaf or hard of hearing by
permitting American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ)
to be used in Ontario schools, Education Minister Kathleen Wynne announced
today.
"We are committed to ensuring that students who are deaf receive an
education that helps them reach their full potential," said Wynne. "I'm proud
of the partnerships we have built with the deaf community to take this
important step forward together."
Publicly funded school boards are encouraged to offer ASL and LSQ to
students in the classroom if it will benefit their education. These sign
languages can also be used for discipline or school management.
A number of initiatives are also underway to help school boards and
provincial schools for students who are deaf and hard of hearing hire
qualified staff. These initiatives include:
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- Developing a sign language curriculum
- Increasing the number of colleges and universities that offer ASL and
LSQ courses to teachers and interpreters
- Helping staff in provincial schools improve their ASL and English
communication skills
- Working with the Ontario College of Teachers to offer a new
qualification program requiring teachers to have some ASL or LSQ
training before teaching students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
In addition, the government is currently working with VOICE for Hearing
Impaired Children to find ways to enhance the education of students who use an
auditory-verbal approach to learning and communicating.
"Thank you to the government for working with us to find solutions that
will help more students succeed," said Wayne Nicholson, president of the
Ontario Association of the Deaf. "More teachers using sign languages in
schools means more students who are deaf receiving a top-quality education."
"We are moving in the right direction to ensure all children who are deaf
succeed - linguistically and academically," said Chris Kenopic, chair of the
American Sign Language Services for Deaf Children in Ontario, a parent support
group. "This announcement will build a promising future for students in their
education and employment opportunities, and most importantly, provide students
with greater self-esteem and confidence as deaf individuals in achieving goals
to succeed in life."
"These new initiatives are a positive first step in making a real
difference in the education of students who are deaf or hard of hearing," said
Gary Malkowski, special advisor to the president, public affairs for The
Canadian Hearing Society. "We look forward to working with the Ontario
government to establish policies and standards that will continue to assist
students who are deaf in overcoming their challenges and barriers."
The McGuinty government has also successfully worked with education and
community partners over the past three-and-a-half years to:
- Reduce class sizes in kindergarten to Grade 3 - resulting in
93 per cent of primary classes with 23 or fewer students and
65 per cent with just 20 or fewer students
- Help more students establish a solid foundation in reading, writing
and math - boosting the percentage of elementary students meeting the
provincial standard up 10 percentage points to 64 per cent
- Provide more learning choices and individual attention to high school
students to keep them more focused on graduation - causing the
graduation rate to climb five percentage points to 73 per cent and
remain on target for 85 per cent by 2010-11.
"By allowing the use of ASL and LSQ in our schools, we are removing yet
another barrier to full accessibility for children who are deaf," said
Minister Responsible for Ontarians with Disabilities Madeleine Meilleur. "A
more accessible Ontario is a stronger Ontario. Providing more opportunities
for children who are deaf to fully participate in their education will ensure
a more prosperous future for them and for the province."
www.edu.gov.on.ca
www.ontario.ca/progress
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For further information: Michelle Despault, Minister's Office, (416) 212-3747; Patricia MacNeil, Communications Branch, (416) 325-2676; Public Inquiries: (416) 325-2929 or 1-800-387-5514, TTY: 1-800-263-2892
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