GO, Kyle, GO!!

“The Deaf Federation of South Africa (DeafSA) gives some appalling figures on the treatment of deaf children in South Africa. Only 12 of our 47 schools for the hearing impaired offer matric. Only 14% of the teachers are fluent in sign language. Thousands of deaf children have no access to education at all. The overwhelming majority of deaf children never reach matric and only a handful reach university.”

This is a ghastly set of figures. It means that if you don’t have cash for a private school for your kid, they won’ t get to matriculate or become all they could be. Wtf are these people thinking?

Kyle Springate is just a kid wanting to finish his matric in his own language. The Department of Education led him to believe that sign language is indeed a matric subject for about 2 yrs but they have since changed their mind. For some details, go to news24. Kyle took them to court and unfortunately didn’t win the first round. They settled out of court with this dumbass notion that he can still get his certification but no, it’s not a real subject. What a crock! Kudo’s to him for trying in the first place though. He wants sign language to be declared a matric subject, and bloody hell, I support him in this.

The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) says they are supporting Kyle but here is something interesting.

I took the following from Citizen Alert:

“The Constitution of South Africa recognises sign language. In Chapter 1 (Founding Provisions), Section 6 (5), it says that the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) must "promote, and create conditions, for the development and use of" sign language. In 1996, DeafSA applied to PanSALB for South African Sign Language to be recognised as an official language. This application is entirely in the spirit of the Constitution.

Thirteen years later, it seems that PanSALB has done nothing about it except to hold "workshops" and have projects to "raise awareness". PanSALB's constitutional duty is to protect minority languages, including sign language, but it seems to have done precious little to standardise South African Sign Language or prepare a school curriculum for it.”

That comes from a letter that Helen Zille wrote. Is the DA honestly the only official body supporting Kyle Springate?

The image was nicked from Ingrid Oellermann's publication, Deaf pupil’s language bid.