Question NW440 to the Minister of Basic Education

Reply:

(1)(a) The scope of training received by (i) educators and (ii) teaching assistants teaching SA Sign Language (SASL) at the 42 schools for deaf learners covered the entire South African Sign Language Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (SASL CAPS) for Grades R – 12, as follows:

• Skills: Observing and Signing, Visual Reading and Viewing, Recording, as well as Language Structure and Use (Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics and Discourse);
• Teaching plans;
• SASL grammar;
• Poetry and literature;
• Assessment and setting of papers;
• Team Teaching Model; and
• Content of teachers’ files.

(1)(b) The DBE appointed a National Training Team comprising hearing and Deaf SASL experts from the University of the Free State, University of Witwatersrand, Sign Language Education and Development (SLED), eDeaf, National Institute for the Deaf (NID) and officials of the Department of Education for the training.

(2) Number of (a) educators and (b) teaching assistants (DTAs) teaching SASL in South African schools in each province (i) have been formally trained in SASL and are skilled in appropriate teaching methodologies

(2)(a)(b)(i)

Trained by DBE:

Province	Number of teachers/ Deaf teaching assistants
	FP	IP	SP	FET	Total
	Teacher	DTA	Teacher	DTA	Teacher	DTA	Teacher	DTA
EC	25	14	15	11	12	4	4	85
FS	31	7	3	6	2	3	2	54
GT	59	30	20	23	22	7	6	167
KZN	47	26	13	23	11	5	3	128
LP	41	6	4	6	3	2	1	63
MP	12	6	5	3	3	0	0	29
NC	8	3	3	3	1	1	1	20
NW	25	6	5	7	8	0	0	51
WC	20	7	7	12	36	2	1	85
Total:	268	105	75	94	98	24	18	682

Training from Universities, NGO’s (May 2016):

Province	Teachers	DTAs
EC	26	19
FS	20	2
GT	43	19
KZN	33	-
LP	-	-
MP	2	-
NC	4	-
NW	13	-
WC	10	4
Total:	151	44

(2) (ii) The information of the number of (a) educators and (b) teaching assistants (DTAs) teaching SASL in South African schools in each province that received formal training in educational audiology and orthodidactics is not readily available in the DBE.

(3)(a) Provincial Education Departments are in the process of creating posts for SASL Subject Advisors. As an interim measure, DBE oriented Language Subject Advisors in SASL CAPS.

(b) Language Subject Advisors were orientated in the following aspects:

• SASL CAPS Grades R – 12;
• Teaching plans;
• Assessments;
• SASL grammar (basics);
• Deaf culture and Bilingualism;
• SASL vs Spoken Language;
• Team teaching model;
• Roles and responsibilities;
• Teachers’ files; and
• HR requirements.