NGOKUSHO kwePhini likaNgqongqoshe weMfundo eyisiSekelo, uDkt Reginah Mhaule, sekuzogxilwa ekuqasheni othisha abaphila nokukhubazeka ezikoleni zakuleli.
Evala umhlangano wezinsuku ezimbili obubhunga ngendaba yabafundi abaphila nokukhubazeka, uthe bazizwile izikhalazo eziningi ezivele kulo mhlangano wathi bazoshintsha indlela abaqasha ngayo othisha.
“Sizogxila ekuqasheni othisha abaphila nokukhubazeka, sibanike imifundaze labo abazobe benze kahle ukuze beze emkhakheni wokufundisa. Siba nenkinga ikakhulu kubafundi abaphase kahle iMaths neSayensi. Sisuke sifuna ukuthi bayoba ngothisha kodwa abeminye imikhakha bayabathatha abafundi bayobenzisa izinto ezithinta ezobunjiniyela nezinye,” kusho uDkt Mhaule.
UNgqongqoshe woMnyango obhekele abesiFazane, iziNgane nabaphila nokuKhubazeka, uNkk Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, uthe kumele bandiswe othisha abazofundisa izifundo ezifana ne-Sign Language kanjalo nezinye izifundo.
Uthe abafundi abaphila nokukhubazeka kumele bayithole imifundaze yokuqhuba izifundo ngisho ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme.
“Kumele bafukulwe abantu abaphila nokukhubazeka kuleli. Abahlonishwe abantu besifazane njengoba benza u-52% wabantu ezweni lonke,” kusho uNkk Nkoana-Mashabane.
Kulo mhlangano kuvele ukuthi bangu-137 332 abafundi abafunda ezikoleni zabaphila nokukhubazeka uma uqhathanisa nabangu-77 000 ngo-2002.
Kulo mhlangano, uNgqongqoshe weMfundo eyisiSekelo, uNkk Angie Motshekga, uthe kuningi okwenziwe ukuqinisekisa ukuthi uhlelo lokufunda luyahambisana nezinto ezithinta abaphila nokukhubazeka.
Uthe sekune-South African Sign Language (SASL) ebhalwa ka-matric.
“Bangu-44 abafundi basezikoleni ezingu-8 kwezingu-17, ababefunda ezikoleni zabaphila nokukhubazeka ababhala iSign Language ka-matric ngo-2018. Ngo-2019, senyuka isibalo sabangu-101 sababhala lesi sifundo ezikoleni ezingu-15,” kusho yena.
Nyakenye, siphinde sanyuka isibalo saba ngu-140 sababhale ezifundazweni ezinhlanu okuyi-Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal naseWestern Cape, ababhale iSign Language.
“Siyabaqeqesha othisha ukuze bakwazi ukufundisa ngezinhlelo ezehlukene okubalwa iBraille, South African Sign Language, i-Autism nezinye izinhlelo. Ngiyajabula ukuthi bangu-2 295 othisha abaqeqeshwe kwiBraille, bangu-2 714 kwiSouth African Sign Language, kuthi abangu-4 724 baqeqeshelwe i-Autism.”