Miss-Delectable
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The Worcester Standard - Support for deaf pupils ?lacking?
PARENTS of deaf pupils in Worcester fear their children could be missing out on vital classroom support because of a shortage of teachers for the deaf.
The concerns have been raised by members of the Worcester Deaf Children’s Society (WDCS) which supports families with children who have impaired hearing.
Some parents have reported a reduction in the support given to their children by the specialist teachers which are provided by the county council.
The teachers spend time with children assisting their learning and ensuring they have all the equipment and support they need in school.
One parent Rebecca Kelly told the Standard her deaf eight-year-old son Michael, who attends Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, had seen a marked reduction in support.
She said: “He’s not getting the support he should be to bring him up to the level of his classmates. He used to have two one-hour sessions a week from a deaf teacher but that is now down to just half an hour a week. That is no where near enough for a severely deaf child.”
Mrs Kelly said her son had also struggled to get access to speech therapy and was being denied the opportunity to fulfill his potential.
“The school are great and try very hard to replace what he is missing but they should not have to do that.”
Elaine Wilkins, from WDCS, said her profoundly deaf 14-year-old daughter Kathryn, who attends Bishop Perowne CE College, was well supported but this was not the case for all children.
“In some way I have been lucky in that Kathryn is very bright and achieves well at school and receives good support,” she said.
“However I know the support across Worcestershire varies considerably and visits from teachers for the deaf can in some cases be weekly and others monthly. Visits for speech and language are much less frequent and support in the classroom in most cases has reduced not increased over the years.”
A spokeswoman for the council said the situation had arisen from two members of staff being on long-term sick leave and not a change in the level of service.
She said steps had been taken to minimise the impact caused by the absences.
“Because of the specialised nature of their work supply teachers for the deaf are fairly difficult to come by, though fortunately we were able to appoint one in September to pick up the workload of the two absent teachers,” he said.
“We are continuing to search for a second supply teacher and remain hopeful the situation will resolve itself naturally as and when the two teachers return to full-time work. We understand parents’ frustrations during this time and thank them for their patience.”
PARENTS of deaf pupils in Worcester fear their children could be missing out on vital classroom support because of a shortage of teachers for the deaf.
The concerns have been raised by members of the Worcester Deaf Children’s Society (WDCS) which supports families with children who have impaired hearing.
Some parents have reported a reduction in the support given to their children by the specialist teachers which are provided by the county council.
The teachers spend time with children assisting their learning and ensuring they have all the equipment and support they need in school.
One parent Rebecca Kelly told the Standard her deaf eight-year-old son Michael, who attends Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, had seen a marked reduction in support.
She said: “He’s not getting the support he should be to bring him up to the level of his classmates. He used to have two one-hour sessions a week from a deaf teacher but that is now down to just half an hour a week. That is no where near enough for a severely deaf child.”
Mrs Kelly said her son had also struggled to get access to speech therapy and was being denied the opportunity to fulfill his potential.
“The school are great and try very hard to replace what he is missing but they should not have to do that.”
Elaine Wilkins, from WDCS, said her profoundly deaf 14-year-old daughter Kathryn, who attends Bishop Perowne CE College, was well supported but this was not the case for all children.
“In some way I have been lucky in that Kathryn is very bright and achieves well at school and receives good support,” she said.
“However I know the support across Worcestershire varies considerably and visits from teachers for the deaf can in some cases be weekly and others monthly. Visits for speech and language are much less frequent and support in the classroom in most cases has reduced not increased over the years.”
A spokeswoman for the council said the situation had arisen from two members of staff being on long-term sick leave and not a change in the level of service.
She said steps had been taken to minimise the impact caused by the absences.
“Because of the specialised nature of their work supply teachers for the deaf are fairly difficult to come by, though fortunately we were able to appoint one in September to pick up the workload of the two absent teachers,” he said.
“We are continuing to search for a second supply teacher and remain hopeful the situation will resolve itself naturally as and when the two teachers return to full-time work. We understand parents’ frustrations during this time and thank them for their patience.”
