Jordan Times
Wednesday, April 21, 1999
Education ministry plans equipment, teachers for hearing impaired students
By Susan Resheq
AMMAN — The Ministry of Education plans to supply students at public schools who suffer from partial deafness with special devices and teachers to stimulate their learning abilities.
Mahmoud Massad, general director of education at the ministry, told the Jordan Times that the number of partially deaf students at government schools increased from 455 in 1996/97 scholastic year to 1,046 this year.
“The ministry will work on supplying partially deaf students with the necessary educational services and specialised teachers,” he said.
He could not say when the plan would be implemented.
The ministry's decades-old move to let partially deaf students attend classes with regular students, starting at the first grade at some schools, has generated positive results, Massad said.
However, some teachers believe more effort should be exerted to raise public awareness regarding the integration of the partially deaf with regular students in classrooms.
The programme to take in more students and to cover all state-run schools, said Siam Zaidan, Director of Special Education at the ministry.
“There should be plans to spread awareness about deaf students so that their integration with regular students will be facilitated and to enlighten regular students and schools administrations to encourage the partially deaf students,” Zeidan said.
“Families of partially deaf students also have a great role to play in encouraging and helping their children develop their interests, as many deaf or partially deaf students are among the best students in their classes.”
Zeidan said more cooperation was needed between private and public schools to help offer more facilities to the deaf and those suffering from partial deafness.
“There is also a shortage in equipment that could ease the partially deaf students task of learning and understanding their subjects.”
The ministry is trying to encourage more teachers to undergo training programmes to teach the hearing impaired.