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Education of the Deaf in South Africa Claudine Storbeck, Lucas Magongwa, and Ingrid Parkin OF T E N R E F E R R E D to as the “rainbow nation” (Tutu, quoted in Allen, 2006, p. 391), South Africa has a complex history of colonial immigration and rule; local turmoil for power; apartheid ; and most recently, democracy for all. The history of Deaf people in South Africa closely mirrors that of the country, where segregation based on race and culture affected both the language development and access to education for Deaf learners.1 In this chapter, we discuss Deaf education in South Africa and the effects and challenges this unique history has created . We end by sharing our hopes and dreams for the future of the South African Deaf community and offer possible solutions to challenges that are often seen as insurmountable. SOUTH AFRICA: THE COUNTRY AND ITS HISTORY The Republic of South Africa, situated at the southern tip of Africa, currently has an estimated population of 47.9 million people (Statistics South Africa, 2007). Africans make up the majority (almost 80% of the population), with the White and colored populations estimated at approximately 9% each and the Indian/Asian population at 2.5% (see Figure 10.1).2 The government of South Africa recognizes 11 official languages, a testament to the country’s diverse population (see Figure 10.2). Section 6 of the Constitution of South Africa 1996 ensures that all languages enjoy parity of esteem and are treated equitably. Of the 11 official languages, 9 are African, reflecting a variety of ethnic groupings, which nonetheless have a great deal in common in terms of background, culture, and descent.3 South African Sign Language (SASL) is not yet accorded official status, but it is officially recognized in the Constitution and other legislation such as the South African School Act of 1996 as the language that needs to be developed and should be used as the learning and teaching medium in schools for the deaf because of the fact that SASL is a necessary language for the purposes of learning at a public school (Department of Education, 1997a). Historically, South Africa was invaded by Dutch settlers (1652) and later colonized by the British (1806), events that led to many skirmishes for power and control of land between all 1. The term Deaf is used in this chapter to reflect a cultural and linguistic perspective; the term deaf is used to represent a clinincal view. 2. The term African refers to the indigenous people of the African continent and reflects a variety of ethnic groupings that nonetheless have a great deal in common in terms of background, culture, and descent. The terms Black and African differ in the present political climate. Black people include Africans, Indians, and colored people whereas Africans refer only to the indigenous people of the African continent. The term colored is the contentious term for people of mixed race, usually the offspring of one Black and one White parent. 3. The African languages include those of the Nguni people (comprising the Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, and Swazi), the Sotho-Tswana people (comprising the Southern, Northern, and Western Sotho/Tswana), the Tsonga people, and the Venda people. 133 inhabitants. In 1910, South Africa became a union, with apartheid being formally instituted in 1948 (although segregation and discriminatory laws limiting Black people to menial labor, minimal land ownership, and no fundamental right to vote existed as far back as the early 1900s). In 1961, the union became a republic, and South Africa formally left the commonwealth . Inequality abounded, and after many turbulent years a new constitution was drafted. In April 1994, the first democratic elections were held in South Africa. The African National Congress gained the overwhelming majority, and on May 10, 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first Black African president of democratic South Africa. Geographically, South Africa is divided into nine provinces and is formally noted as one of the Southern African development countries that include Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Angola, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Mozambique. South Africa takes a strong leadership role in the African Union. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ON DEAF EDUCATION Because of the political upheavals of the apartheid era, many missionaries were sent to South Africa, and this missionary-minded approach also reached the South African Deaf community in the 1860s in the form of the Irish Dominican nuns and, later, the Dutch Reformed Church. The first school for the deaf in South Africa was established...

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