History of the Siteki School for the Deaf
The School for the Deaf Primary in Siteki was the first center for education of people living with hearing impairment in Swaziland. The school was founded by Irish Dominican Sisters, and officially opened on July 28th, 1975. The furniture and equipment were provided by the Manzini Rotary Club. During its first year, the school enrolled six students, but the student body has since grown to over 130 pupils. The school acts as a cultural hub for people living with hearing impairment, where language, values, mores and customs are all shared, and transferred from one generation to another.
The program was initiated by Father Siro Edoni, a catholic missionary, along with Anne Leng (from the UK) and John Mamba, an extension worker from the Social Welfare Department in the Ministry of Home Affairs. The teaching style initially used was the “Maternal Reflective Method”, which is strictly oral, and the teachers hold their hands behind their backs. However, this method has since changed, and the school now uses the Sign Bilingual approach. It seeks to respect and use both sign language, and the spoken, written language of the hearing community. This approach was selected because it places both sign and spoken language on an equal pedestal, ignoring the notion that one is superior over the other. It encourages children to know and be proud of their first language, which is sign language.
Since its inception in 1975, the School for the Deaf has undergone considerable transformation. Its relocation from the original Enjabulweni Children’s Home to its present premises in Siteki, gave the school the latitude for physical development and diversification of services.
Staffing, which initially comprised of Sister Nuns, gradually acquired a local flavour with the addition of teachers who were trained abroad in deaf education.
The local staff element increased with the engagement of qualified teachers drawn from Swaziland’s teacher education colleges. These teachers obtained on site training in Deaf Education by the Sisters. Opportunities were availed for the local teachers to undergo formal training in Deaf Education. Over the years the staffing now comprises of 22 teachers of whom the majority are now qualified teachers of the deaf, of whom the majority are now holders of degrees.
As the school continues to grow and develop, we hope to see an increase in the trainings and qualifications teachers receive once they begin teaching at School for the Deaf. Additionally, it is the hope of the Administration to be able to employ more deaf adults at the school to serve as role models for the students, as well as aid in the continued advancement of sign language education at the school and across the country.
The program was initiated by Father Siro Edoni, a catholic missionary, along with Anne Leng (from the UK) and John Mamba, an extension worker from the Social Welfare Department in the Ministry of Home Affairs. The teaching style initially used was the “Maternal Reflective Method”, which is strictly oral, and the teachers hold their hands behind their backs. However, this method has since changed, and the school now uses the Sign Bilingual approach. It seeks to respect and use both sign language, and the spoken, written language of the hearing community. This approach was selected because it places both sign and spoken language on an equal pedestal, ignoring the notion that one is superior over the other. It encourages children to know and be proud of their first language, which is sign language.
Since its inception in 1975, the School for the Deaf has undergone considerable transformation. Its relocation from the original Enjabulweni Children’s Home to its present premises in Siteki, gave the school the latitude for physical development and diversification of services.
Staffing, which initially comprised of Sister Nuns, gradually acquired a local flavour with the addition of teachers who were trained abroad in deaf education.
The local staff element increased with the engagement of qualified teachers drawn from Swaziland’s teacher education colleges. These teachers obtained on site training in Deaf Education by the Sisters. Opportunities were availed for the local teachers to undergo formal training in Deaf Education. Over the years the staffing now comprises of 22 teachers of whom the majority are now qualified teachers of the deaf, of whom the majority are now holders of degrees.
As the school continues to grow and develop, we hope to see an increase in the trainings and qualifications teachers receive once they begin teaching at School for the Deaf. Additionally, it is the hope of the Administration to be able to employ more deaf adults at the school to serve as role models for the students, as well as aid in the continued advancement of sign language education at the school and across the country.