Canada: Signing, speech debate hinders recruitment of deaf teachers

[Francis Hult]

CBC News

 

Signing, speech debate hinders recruitment of deaf teachers

 

School boards across Alberta say they need more teachers who are deaf to help the province's students with hearing impairments but the community is divided over what they should be learning.

 

There are about 200 deaf teachers working in Canada, but only six in Alberta.

 

"These deaf kids are our future. We need to be able to give them what they need," said Norma Jean Taylor, system principal for the deaf and hard of hearing at the Calgary Board of Education.

 

People in the deaf community, who have gathered in Calgary for a national conference this week, said many young deaf people are not choosing to teach because they're caught between conflicting pressures.

 

Some deaf students are encouraged to pursue American sign language, while others are pushed to learn to speak English, sometimes utilizing hearing technology.

 

Full story:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2008/07/24/alberta-deaf-teachers-shortage.html

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