In the Republic of Moldova, the integration of children who do not hear into general education schools is a complete failure, said Natalia Babici, vice president of the Association of the Deaf. After a number of special schools for deaf and mute children were closed, the given students were placed in general education schools, but the teachers there do not know sign language, while the Association of the Deaf does not have staff that can work in education. Moreover, when education was moved to the online, these children stayed at home and watched animated cartoons on TV, said Natalia Babici, being quoted by IPN.
“In the Republic of Moldova, there is only one special school for deaf child, No.12, situated in Chisinau, where the students study nine grades, and Vocational School No. 11, where these children can continue their studies. The other schools for deaf children were closed, while the children were dispersed to general education schools, without yet providing these schools with sign language interpreters. Some of the parents who have deaf children do not take these children to school owing to these problems,” said Natalia Babici.
The special schools for deaf children in Cahul town and in Hârbovăț village of Călărași district were closed. The parents asked the Association of the Deaf to help these children to integrate into general education schools. Seventeen children attended the school in Hârbovăț and 28 children went to the school in Cahul.
According to the Association of the Deaf, the problem of inclusive education was discussed in meetings with the current minister of education, culture and research and with former education ministers. “The teachers who work with deaf children in general education schools seek help from the Association of the Deaf because they don’t know how to behave towards these chidden, but the Association does not have personnel for working in schools. It has only sign language interpreters who deal with social and legal issues. A solution is for the teachers teaching to classes that include deaf children to attend training and lean sign language. In Chisinau, there are only three sign language interpreters per 1,500 deaf adults. In Moldova, there are about 5,000 hearing impaired persons and only 17 sign language interpreters. But some of these retired and no longer work. In the Republic of Moldova, there are only eight registered sign language interpreters. An interpreter can serve at most 300 persons with hearing impairments,” stated Natalia Babici.
She noted that their Association and a group of parents with children with hearing impairments sued the Ministry of Education for not fulfilling the conditions concerning these children formulated by the Association. But the court ruled in favor of the Ministry and the Association of the Deaf is preparing a new complaint against the Ministry.
“Many children with hearing impairments go to Romania to study there, while others work as sweepers. We have petitions from parents with deaf children from Edineț, Hâncești, Cimișlia, Căușeni, where the parents complain they are discriminated, while the court that ruled in favor of the Ministry held the general education schools provide better conditions for the deaf children. What better conditions are there if the deaf children are humiliated in general education schools and they do not understand anything at classes,” said Natalia Babici.
In July Chisinau will host an international meeting that will center on the use of sign language as a means for ensuring inclusive education.
