daniel chigunwe
Peter Matika
Bulawayo Bureau
THE Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) will starting next year introduce video examinations for candidates with hearing impairment who will be sitting for their final Grade Seven examinations in efforts aimed at consolidating Government efforts for an all-inclusive education sector.
Under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa, the Second Republic has made great strides towards the creation of an inclusive society that recognises the rights of people with disabilities, among them being the opening up of opportunities for them in empowerment programmes.
In an interview, through the assistance of an interpreter, Mr Cyril Dube, Zimsec board member and education specialist for learners with disabilities Mr Sindile Mhlanga said the initiative is aimed at aiding learners with profound hearing impairment
He said the project is in its final stages and will be piloted during the first quarter of 2024.
“Students with hearing impairment are subjected to the same educational milestones and examinations as those of their mainstream counterparts and these weigh down on the former. Like their mainstream counterparts, students with profound deafness need feedback, they need to be motivated to learn and they have aspirations which are hinged on results of teaching, learning, and assessment,” said Mr Mhlanga.
He said students with hearing impairment need to boost their self-esteem through performing to their optimal capacity.
“Students with hearing impairment write their end-of-year examinations in various subjects and their results reveal that they face various challenges. As much as they may receive specialist tutoring from specialist teachers they still need special attention,” said Mr Mhlanga.
“This is why we found that there is a serious need to have them entirely understand what they will be tested on during exams.”
Mr Mhlanga said even test questions proved difficult for them as the words are sometimes difficult to interpret.
“It has been observed that learners with hearing impairment, who pass Grade Seven perform below their expected threshold. Very few students with hearing impairment have been recorded to have passed with distinctions,” he said.
“Hearing impairment does not mean one is incapable of achieving something academically. What this project seeks to achieve is to bypass the hurdles and have students fully appreciating and understanding what is presented to them.”
Mr Mhlanga, who is also hearing impaired said he was a clear testimony of a person driven by passion and result-oriented.
“I was born in Luveve in 1972 and my sense of hearing was fully functional. I attended Imbizo Primary School until the time I fell ill with meningitis,” he said.
“I was about 12 years old at the time and I fell totally deaf. My condition is known as nerve deafness, where the brain does not receive or interpret sound.”
For Mr Mhlanga, growing up with the ability to hear and then losing it, traumatised him.
“I had to transfer from Imbizo to King George. I had never met a deaf person in my life at that time until I enrolled at this school. The teachers and other students helped me to accept my condition, which I did and moved on with my life,” he said.
Mr Mhlanga said after transferring to King George, he noticed how learners struggled with education, prompting him to push himself to the limits until he completed his education, before returning to the school to teach.
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“I underwent speech therapy, as my speech was fading. I learnt sign language soon after my enrolment, and I must emphasize that it was not easy being deaf while being able to speak,” said Mr Mhlanga.
He recalled how he was the only student with hearing impairment at A-Level. He taught himself while also receiving assistance from other students who provided him with notes to copy.
Mr Mhlanga said eventually when he got to Upper Six, some of the teachers grew accustomed to his condition and gave him personalised lessons.
After completing his A-Levels, Mr Mhlanga tried to enrol at the National University of Science and Technology but failed as the institution did not have a department for the hearing-impaired.
“It was then that I was noticed by a Japanese institution that offered me a five-year scholarship to study in America. I did Management of Information Systems for Information Technology and Business, and upon returning home, I taught computers in schools,” said Mr Mhlanga.
“While I was abroad I realised how deaf students excelled because of the equal educational opportunities, and that is when I first contextualized the idea of video examinations.”
Mr Mhlanga said among the hearing-impaired students who benefited from the scholarship programme in Zimbabwe, he was the only one to return home.
Among his accomplishments as a hearing-impaired teacher, Mr Mhlanga has launched a sign language programme aimed at equipping caregivers with basic communication skills.
“Through this, we developed and assisted people to get and appreciate sign language. I also helped in the crafting of the first deaf dictionary in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“From there I excelled and managed to land a post on the Zimsec board following several recommendations.”
Mr Mhlanga is married and has two children. His wife is also hearing impaired, but their children are not.
“Our children’s first language is sign language, since my wife and I are both deaf. They can hear very well. I prioritise education as it is the key to success, and the inclusion of people with disabilities shows the growth and maturity of our country,” he said.
Online Reporter