New Zealand’s Deaf Students Face Education Crisis

Advocates Demand Action as NZSL Fluency Lags in Education System

Deaf students in New Zealand are falling behind their hearing peers, with teachers and parents pinpointing a critical lack of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) proficiency as the core issue. Despite NZSL’s status as an official language, the education system struggles to implement it effectively.

Frustration Mounts Over Systemic Failures

The Deaf community expresses profound frustration, feeling ignored and dismissed as they call for NZSL and Deaf culture to be central to Deaf education. The establishment of Ko Taku Reo, a national school formed in 2020, was intended to improve outcomes, yet the community feels promises are not being met.

“We’re setting them up for failure.”

Amanda Everitt, a profoundly Deaf individual with a law degree and a master’s in education, attributes her own success to being raised with NZSL by her Deaf mother. She believes this foundational advantage should be available to all Deaf children in New Zealand, a reality she sees as far from achieved.

Calls for NZSL Fluency in Teaching Staff

A major concern is the number of hearing teachers in leadership roles who lack fluency in NZSL. This practice is compared to a Māori immersion school not employing teachers who aren’t fluent in Te Reo Māori. Evelyn Pateman, a Deaf advocate and interpreter, questions the logic: “So why is Deaf education employing hearing teachers who can’t sign?”

Ko Taku Reo acknowledges a shortage of NZSL-fluent teachers, stating they offer training post-employment. However, a recent policy change allowing beginner teachers with mainstream experience to be hired directly, with mentoring, has also created barriers for Deaf graduates. Beca Harper, a Deaf graduate herself, highlights the difficulty: “In the real-world people don’t employ what they don’t know.” She has struggled to find teaching positions in New Zealand despite international recognition of her qualifications.

Risk of Language Deprivation and Limited Early Support

The lack of NZSL immersion raises concerns about language deprivation for Deaf children. Around 95% of Deaf children are born to hearing parents who may not be aware of their child’s communication needs. The Ministry-funded First Signs program, which provides NZSL support to families, is significantly under-resourced, with just 15 facilitators nationwide leading to extensive waiting lists.

Recent reports indicate that students at Ko Taku Reo have been forced to interpret for their teachers due to insufficient NZSL skills. Teachers have also cited a “toxic culture,” with some fearing reprisken for speaking out. Graduates fluent in NZSL have reportedly been overlooked for positions at the school, despite being welcomed overseas.

“I was shocked that at Ko Taku Reo they would bring in teachers in the provision that didn’t understand sign language, that couldn’t communicate with us.”

— A Ko Taku Reo Student

Ko Taku Reo and the Minister of Education, Erica Stanford, have responded in writing, stating they are unaware of students needing to interpret for teachers and that reports of a toxic culture are unsubstantiated. They maintain that hiring beginner teachers with NZSL is possible under certain conditions.

Hope for the Future Amidst Ongoing Challenges

Despite these setbacks, positive steps are being taken, including the reinstatement of a Board of Trustees with parent and Deaf representation and the establishment of a Deaf Futures group at the school. The upcoming announcement of a new Executive Principal for Ko Taku Reo offers a potential turning point.

Globally, institutions like Gallaudet University, the world’s only Deaf university, eventually appointed Deaf leadership after significant advocacy. The Deaf community in New Zealand hopes for a similar outcome, ideally a Deaf principal or one with significant Deaf experience and fluent NZSL, to truly understand and meet their children’s educational needs.

A 2023 report by the New Zealand Human Rights Commission highlighted that many Deaf children experience significant disadvantages in education, underscoring the urgency of addressing these systemic issues.