In the last article we explored the role of sign language in Sweden in general, and today I would like to invite you to make a virtual stroll around Swedish high schools for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, and to see how deaf and hard-of-hearing students continue on to enter University
Generally, schooling in Sweden is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 16. Everyone in Sweden is obliged to attend ordinary compulsory school (grundskola) for nine years, but special school students have a 10-year compulsory program since they have one additional subject to cover. Can you guess which one? Sign Language, exactly!
What kinds of schools are available for deaf and hard-of-hearing in Sweden, generally?
- Ordinary compulsory school (including children of all hearing levels)
- Schools for students with hearing loss that have "hearing class." Spoken Swedish with technical equipment is used;
- Bilingual special schools for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Both Swedish Sign language and Spoken Swedish with technical equipment is applied.
Special schools
specialskolor are to provide education that is equivalent, as far as possible, to that given in compulsory schools. There are also special schools for deaf children or children with hearing impairments who are intellectually disabled. As I mentioned in my last article,
specialskolor are responsible for ensuring that, on completing education, every deaf or hard-of-hearing student is bilingual. That is to say, that he or she can understand sign language, read Swedish, and can express thoughts and ideas in sign language and in writing. A student should be also able to communicate using written English.
Almost all of the pupils attending compulsory basic school choose to continue directly to upper secondary school gymnasieskola, which provides 3 and 4 year academic and vocational courses leading on to university or employment. Upper secondary schools are divided into 17 national programmes which prepare students for their further study in universities.
Upper secondary education is not compulsory. However, many students, including hard-of-hearing and deaf students, do choose study there from 16 to 19 years of age.
Students who are deaf or with impaired hearing and/or physical disabilities from all over the country can apply to five regular upper secondary schools in Sweden where almost all deaf students and approximately 20% of the students with hearing loss are enrolled in special classes. Those who are deaf or have hearing disabilities may also attend special upper secondary schools. Education there includes vocational practice and one week at university for students at theoretical programmes.
Örebro, where I was a conference guest and speaker, is home to RGD and RGH, Sweden's National Upper Secondary Schools for the Deaf and for the Hard of Hearing. Students at RGD are taught in sign language and those at RGH in spoken Swedish, amplified by assistive equipment. Interestingly enough, RGD was established as a school for the deaf in 1967 and only later on, in 1984, was it followed by RGH - the school for the hard of hearing.
I saw that there is quite a wide range of programmes at these schools: Natural Science, Social Science, Children and Leisure, Hotel, Restaurant and Catering, Media, Health Care, Electrical Engineering, Handicrafts, Technology, Construction and so on. Each programme provides a choice of classes; for example, in Social Sciences one can choose a class on culture. And, in addition to the compulsory Sign Language, Swedish, and English, students can also choose one additional modern foreign language. Johan Lindmark, a teacher at Örebro upper secondary school, told me that they had one gifted deaf student who studied English, French, Latin and Spanish! Where is this gifted former student now? What career path had he chosen? Sadly, nobody knew.
Upper secondary schools are free of charge and there are no fees for educational materials, food, or healthcare. Pupils who need support can use school-supplied interpreters who serve all school units, receive technical aid from the regional counties, and adaptations of teaching materials from the state.
So, for students who choose to attend these schools, the education is free, and students are also provided free accommodation in Örebro and 18 free trips to the school and back home, twice a month. However, I heard that not all deaf young people choose to attend, even with these benefits. Some do not want to leave their families and friends and travel to Örebro, which is often far from their home towns. (for example, Stockholm is 350 kilometres/217 miles away from the school).
As for University education, I had a chance to visit Örebro University and Stockholm University and inquire about conditions for the deaf and hard-of-hearing students. To enter universities, all students pass general aptitude tests on completion of school education, so everyone undergoes an equal selection process. Grades from school also play a big role in acceptance to the University. However, students with disabilities and hearing loss can explain any difficulties they may have faced during school education and explain why their grades were low (for example, "my teacher in my mainstream school did not understand my problems with hearing and also turned away when speaking, so I could not lip read and follow classes.")
In Örebro University hard-of-hearing students can use FM systems and assistive listening devices from the University itself, while in Stockholm University students are usually applying to the hospital to borrow needed equipment. Stockholm University has induction loops in large audience rooms and is trying to get more induction loops for smaller rooms.
How else are deaf and hard-of-hearing students supported? They receive support such as note-taking and taking copies from their classmates for free, extended time for examinations or alternative forms of examination, additional supervision/instruction, and sign language interpreters. In terms of other technical support, students can be provided resource rooms for individual exams or studies.
I learned that among four disciplines within Stockholm University (Social Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Law), there were 35,000 students of which - in 2005 - 33 were hard-of-hearing and deaf undergraduate students, and four hard-of-hearing/deaf Graduate students. As special disability counselors told me, hard-of-hearing students need more empowerment training and need to stand up for their rights and for access more actively. Deaf students have always been more visible in this area than have hard-of-hearing young people, they say. They also proudly expressed to me that there were deaf Journalism and Psychology graduates from Stockholm University.
I wondered if there had been any PhD degrees taken by deaf or hard-of-hearing students.
"We had one gifted deaf student who defended his PhD thesis in disability law in Sweden, and another deaf student took a PhD for the research about the use of Sign Language by deaf and hard-of-hearing in Sweden," they told me The latter is certainly a symbolic theme for deaf and hard-of-hearing communities in Sweden where Sign Language has been peculiar to the lives of both deaf and hard-of-hearing people and intertwined with the culture of both groups.
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