Mainstreaming

This would help!

Maybe my story would help reduce the debate between mainstream schools and deaf schools.

I have spent all my life in a mainstream school, and I have a perfect social life and have so much fun in life!

Matric, is in all probability one of the hardest years in ones life and I sat for my mainstream senior certificate examinations with two languages, English being my first, on the HG, and traditionally Afrikaans, my second, also on the HG. I did seven subjects, including the languages, I did Mathematics, Physical Science, Biology, Accounting and Business Economics all on the Higher Grade.

5 A’s for Deaf Student was a headline on the front page of the Daily News, probably the only recognition I got for being Deaf, when the Matric results were declared. Passing with and overall result on 87% and with distinctions in both my languages and 3 other subjects, was the ultimate joy of my long and stressful journey of being deaf.

I knew what I wanted from life, I sought to be a chartered accountant. I then applied to the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal and subsequently had a meeting with the dean of the faculty of commerce. He encouraged my parents to send me to UNISA(a correspondence university), as he felt that I would not survive with university as it is a substantial change from school, so have I now discovered! He felt that being Deaf, I would not be able to adjust and I wouldn’t be able to speak etc, when I spoke, he literally fell of his chair. He promised me admission to the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, where I am currently studying towards a BCOM(Acc) degree, in my second year.

To crown my joys, I was recently awarded membership of the Golden Key Society, an International Honor Society that rewards academic excellence. This was in recognition of my hard work and commitment to academic excellence which placed me in the top 15% of students at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in the first year of my academic studies.

So nothing is impossible for us!!

Kashveera
 
Mainstreaming at any age can be difficult. I mean, there's the teachers that have to be enlightened about the fact that deafness has nothing to do with I.Q., there's the tiresome "accomidations", and peers!
My first two mainstream experiences--the years before third grade and bothe seventh and eighth grades-- were hell for me. Surrounded by ignorant (not mean, although it did seem to converge now and then...) people. Taught me alot of survival skills, I think.
High School was a decent experience, probably because by then I learnt how to adovocate for myself and a few more social skills.
 
Everyone has a different expierence with mainstreaming or going to the deaf schools.. And not all countries in the world will have understanding of deaf culture.

My high school didn't understand how to work with me in terms of my education and interpreter requirements. So it was made more frustrating for me. So when i graduated high school, understandbly i was happy to get out, no more fighting with the school to get what I needed.

I went to gally for a year after high school.. probubly worst expierence of my life because I wasn't used to deaf culture at the time. Today, I look back and I'm glad I had the expierences because I learned where I truly feel comfortable. But I did gain a better understanding of deaf culture while I was in gally, so not all was bad.
 
sr171soars said:
You may be right that in my day mainstreaming meant one thing and today or the recent decade or so that it means something else altogether.

From a purely social standpoint, yes you probably are correct that I would have had a better social life. However, still I believe I came out ahead as I'm an avid believer in the "sink or swim" school. :D

There are always tradeoffs in life...
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You attended to University of Maryland.. wow you might know my classmate who is deaf. still work in there... Shirley Zimmerman?????
 
SxyPorkie said:
You attended to University of Maryland.. wow you might know my classmate who is deaf. still work in there... Shirley Zimmerman?????
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Er...sorry I don't. I went there from '76 to '81. She may not have even been there then. If she was, as you know, the place is huge and you might run into a person only once the whole time one is there. Had that happen many times...
 
sr171soars said:
Er...sorry I don't. I went there from '76 to '81. She may not have even been there then. If she was, as you know, the place is huge and you might run into a person only once the whole time one is there. Had that happen many times...
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Allright.. thanks...
 
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