– It’s a bit difficult in the classroom because everyone has to use microphones when they speak. That’s what Sverre Bakkevold Vassnes says. His classroom at Skjold school in Rogaland is equipped with a microphone and speakers. It is so that the 13-year-old can hear more clearly what is being said. Sverre has impaired hearing and is the only student at the school who needs instruction in sign language. Sverre does not notice that it is more difficult to learn. – As long as the teachers use microphones, it will be fine, he says. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news – Teaching aids in sign language make me learn better and get assignments in my mother tongue, he says. Old and outdated equipment Twice a week he receives sign language lessons from teacher Gro Anette Vestre. – Teaching aids in and in sign language are extremely important. It is his mother tongue, and it is important that he knows it well, she says. Sign language teacher Gro Anette Vestre at Skjold school. She says that today there are few tools that teachers can use in sign language teaching. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news Today, a total of 267 pupils receive training in and in sign language in primary school, according to figures from the Primary School’s information system. The problem for Sverre and other children who need instruction in sign language is that many of the teaching aids they use are old and outdated. – It is absolutely miserable today. You pick a little here and a little there and you don’t make good progress, says the sign language teacher. 20-year-old textbooks Now NOK 20 million has been allocated through the state budget over two years to improve the situation. It is Statped that gets the money. They have a particular responsibility for developing teaching aids for blind, severely visually impaired and sign language pupils. The money is to be used for educational resource work for children and young people with special needs. The extra support will, among other things, enable Sverre to get new textbooks. – The books I have found are over 20 years old. They are outdated and cannot be used, says sign language teacher Gro Anette Vestre. Statped’s extra one-off allocation of NOK 10 million in the revised national state budget went to strengthen the work for a more comprehensive effort in the field of teaching aids. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news At the same time, the money will probably go towards improving the digital offer, so that sign language teaching becomes more varied. Enormous need Divisional director Kari-Anita Brendskag in Statped is happy that there will now be an opportunity to start more teaching aid initiatives. – We are extremely grateful for that. We have focused on improving, among other things, sign language teaching aids, she says. Kari Anita Brendskag is division director at Statped. Statped says the government’s proposal to continue the investment with a further NOK 10 million in 2024 means that they can invest more long-term in the development of teaching aids. Photo: Sveinung Wiig Andersen Brendskag adds that there is an enormous need for adapted learning aids today. – We will develop teaching aids in all subjects from kindergarten to upper secondary schools. It is a big and important mission, she says. Wants more money for sign language teaching aids Elisabeth Frantzen Holte is interest policy adviser at the Norwegian Association of the Deaf. She believes NOK 20 million is too little money. – It’s a drop in the ocean. There is a crying need to increase the production of sign language materials and teaching aids, says Holte. Interest policy adviser in the Norwegian Association of the Deaf, Elisabeth Frantzen Holte. She says the millions in support are not enough to develop sign language teaching aids and learning resources. Photo: Privat She believes that there are too few employees and scarce resources that create textbooks and online resources for pupils with Norwegian sign language. – When a sign language teacher does not have a physical textbook to deal with, it is difficult to know which topics must be reviewed in a school day, she says. Then it will be the Norwegian teacher’s job to search the internet for tasks to work on. She says this happens every day for the teachers who teach deaf and hard-of-hearing students. – Those who teach deaf and hearing-impaired pupils primarily want textbooks in sign language for each stage and teacher’s guidance. The textbook should be a physical book with links to tasks online or an iPad, says Holte. Hope for a simpler everyday life Back in Sverre’s classroom. He has become used to living with poor hearing. – As long as I manage to look at the mouth while my friends are talking, it’s fine. I’m good at lip reading, he says. Sverre thinks it is good that the support, among other things, goes to better learning offers in sign language. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news Now he hopes that everyday learning will improve. But he is unsure whether he will personally notice any particular difference at his school. In two years, he will start high school. – I think it is good to have extra support, because it has been difficult to have sign language lessons. We don’t know what to learn from, he says.
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20 million extra for Statped to help children with special needs – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
