Educational Programmes available for the Hearing Impaired Childern

Secondary Schools:

Integrated education in regular schools

Children from integrated primary schools or from special primary school may be placed in secondary school. Secondary section in a special school may not be available due to several reasons. Sometimes, special schools do not get permission to run secondary school from the concerned State government. Hence children may have to enroll in integrated secondary schools. There also is high rate of school dropouts at this point. Parents are advised to be alert and look for options available so that the education is not discontinued.

The curriculum followed is as prescribed by the concerned State Board of Education, however the hearing impaired children get language exemptions and need to take optional subjects against exemptions.

Segregated Special Schools

Children who for one or the other reasons could not be integrated in a regular primary school continue their secondary education in a special school. In addition to the State Boards curriculum of secondary education, they get language exemptions. Most of the special schools also have classes to teach pre–vocational skills.

Continual Education:

The National Open School

The National Open School provides an educational opportunity to children persons who wish to pursue further education but cannot do so in a regular school system. It provides continued education to the handicapped children, especially dropouts from school. For this purpose NOS has set up Special Accredited Centres for the Education of Disadvantaged (SAIED) at various places.

Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped is one of the accredited centres catering to the continual education of hearing impaired children. It offers two programmes – The foundation course and secondary education in two mediums Hindi and English.

1. Foundation course: Minimum education upto std. V is required for admission. The foundation course is equivalent to std. VIII. There are no public exams, marks or certificate. Five subjects are offered with either one or two languages from group A and the remaining 3 subjects from group B.
2. Secondary Education: Minimum education upto std. VIII or foundation course done from National Open school is required for admission. The secondary education is equivalent to std. X^th. Subjects offered are any one language + 5 subjects including options for vocational subjects.

   Public exams are conducted and secondary school certificate is given after successfully completing the course. The special feature is that the student can appear for only one subject per year in the term of five years i.e. students can study at their own pace.

Higher Secondary Education:

Hearing impaired who have successfully completed secondary school from a recognized Board of Secondary Education either from integrated regular secondary school or special school or NOS are eligible for admission to Higher Secondary School. Hearing Impaired children are eligible for language exemption and can opt for other optional subjects.

Special Schools

Hearing impaired children who have successfully completed secondary school from a recognized Board of Secondary Education either from integrated regular secondary school or special school or National Open School are eligible for admission to higher secondary special school. Such schools are currently available only at Chennai at:

1. Little Flower Convent Higher Secondary for Deaf
   127, G. N. Road, Cathedral P.O.
   Chennai – 600 006, Tamil Nadu
2. St. Louis Institute for Deaf and Blind
   Canal Bank Road, Gandhi Nagar,
   Adyar, Chennai – 600 020

College Education:

Hearing impaired persons who have completed higher secondary education from integrated (regular)/special school from recognized Board of Education are eligible for admission in regular college or can enroll in IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) for higher education.

Segregated special colleges are also available at:

1. C.S.I. Vocational High School for the Deaf
   Post Valakom, Kottarakara, Dist. Quilon,
   Kerala
2. St. Louis Institute for Deaf and Deaf
   Blind Canal Bank Road,
   Gandhi Nagar, Adyar,
   Chennai - 600 020