Συγκριτική αξιολόγηση των εναλλακτικών δομών εκπαίδευσης κωφών και βαρήκοων : ειδικά σχολεία έναντι γενικών σχολείων

Abstract

The education of children with special learning disabilities is not only an educational but also a social issue that has been of great concern to the international educational community during the recent years. In the present study, the education process of students with hearing problems is presented specifically. The established and recognized, after many struggles, language of the deaf, is the sign language. Sign language refers to a non-verbal and descriptive communication, which is achieved through hand and body movements, as well as facial expressions. Each country has its own recognized sign language, which is the one used by every deaf community and the one taught to deaf and hard of hearing students. As far as Greece is concerned, there are special schools for the deaf and hard of hearing students, where they study the Greek Sign Language as their first language. The latter is based on the Greek oral language, but with different rules of syntax and grammar. Of course, deaf and hard of hearing students can also attend general schools and the decision of the appropriate educational unit for students is made by the parents. Thus, the parent, after having got the diagnosis from the competent state body regarding the proposed educational unit, can decide and enroll the student to the school he deems appropriate. In this context, during the recent years, there has been a tendency to prefer mainstream schools for the education of deaf / hard of hearing students and to close special educational units for the deaf / hard of hearing. After all, the international educational community presents inclusion as the new most ideal form of educational process and social inclusion of all students. When included, all students attend the same school, the school of their neighborhood, and depending on the difficulties and needs of each, there is a specialized way of teaching that is adjusted to the needs of each student, within the school. In the case of deaf / hard of hearing students, some conditions which are necessary for inclusion are: the existence of a parallel support teacher with excellent knowledge of the Greek Sign Language, the knowledge of some basic signs by class teachers and students, the use of them during teaching, the existence of specialized professional staff in the school environment, such as interpreters, speech therapists, psychologists, and other conditions for which, in addition to the school itself, the state should primarily take care of. Based on the above information, the education of the deaf / hard of hearing students was chosen as the topic of the present study. The main issue was whether the special school or the mainstream school is the most appropriate choice of school environment for the deaf / hard of hearing students.