The Finnish Association of the Deaf is advocacy, expert
and service organisation. FAD develops with other organisations living
environment suitable for all, where also Deaf sign language users are
equal citizens. The association produces expert and other services also
for sign language and sign-supported communication users as well as
others who need these services.
http://www.kl-deaf.fi/
Draft curriculum and structure of Finnish sigh language
http://www.kl-deaf.fi/File/d8da1ffc-e345-4548-8c4c-941a4cf33b4c/FSL_student.pdf
Kuulokynnys/The Finnish Federation of Hard of Hearing
The Finnish Federation of Hard of Hearing (FFHOH) represents the rights and interests of HOH people and provides services for HOH and deafened people and their families.
Tutkimus oph/ Finnish national Board of education, questionnaire about teaching od deaf and signing pupils.
In the autumn of 2013, an electronic questionnaire was sent to the rectors of all primary and
lower secondary schools (children aged 7–16) concerning the teaching of deaf and signing pupils.
Reponses were received from about 50% of Finnish-language schools and from approximately
33% of Swedish-language schools. 49
As a basis for the report on teaching arrangements, information was gathered on the size and
placement of the groups in question. It was reported that deaf and signing pupils, as well as pupils
with varying degrees of hearing loss were enrolled in 304 schools: deaf pupils in 16, hard of
hearing in 218 and pupils with a cochlear implant in 71 schools. In addition, there are pupils who
use sign-supported speech, keyword signing, etc. to either facilitate or replace speech in dozens
of schools. In total, there were 1,313 pupils in the target group, of which deaf or those with varying
degrees on hearing impairment accounted for approximately 500 (see Tables 4 and 14).
In an earlier study (Jokinen 2000), it was reported that there were 258 pupils who had sign
language as their mother tongue, in 14 municipal schools and in 3 state-run schools. At that
time, the situation in Swedish-language schools was not investigated. During the academic year
2013–14, it was reported that there were less than one hundred22 pupils in the participating
schools with sign language as their mother tongue in 23 schools (21 municipal and 2 state-run).
Of the municipal schools, two were Swedish-language, and the pupils in them were reported to
have Finland-Swedish sign language as their mother tongue. Among the municipal schools, 15 reported that a hearing pupil had sign language as either the mother tongue or a second language.
Some of them came from a family that used sign language at home. In total, there are pupils with
sign language as their mother tongue in 23 schools and with sign language as a second language
in 26 schools. Of these, seven have both types of pupils, and thus the total number with pupils
who have sign language as either their first or second language is at least 42 on the basis of this
study.
Sign language teaching is provided in all subjects in five schools, and in some subjects in six
schools. Teaching is provided in sign language as the mother tongue in 15 schools. Responses
were also received concerning the use of sign language as a second language, but because the difference between bilingualism and parallel language use was not rigorously defined in the study,
there was some uncertainty in identifying this group. In any case, the proportion of pupils with
sign language as their first or second language accounts for less than 10% of the total number
of pupils belonging to the target group in this study.
At present, there were only three schools with more than five signing and/or deaf pupils. The
situation concerning the linguistic, cultural and, above all, social development of those pupils not
enrolled in these schools can be considered extremely challenging. School and municipalities
have expertise in relation to hearing impairment, but not so much in relation to sign language and
the associated culture. The use of experts as a support for cultural growth is scanty. Responses
concerning the academic success of the pupils were few and ambiguous due to the great individual
variation, and thus this study was not able to gather reliable data on this topic.
Teaching arrangements were examined from the administrative point of view. The majority
of the deaf are provided special support, and have an extended period of compulsory education.
For this reason, most of their teachers are clinic-type or classroom special education teachers.
(Data was not collected on the teachers' sign language skills in this study.) The use of an individualized syllabus was quite common in all subjects among both the deaf signing pupils (53%) and those with varying degrees of hearing impairment using sign-supported speech or keyword signing (65%). Among the entire target group, classroom assistants had been arranged for the pupils
in 94 schools, personal assistants in 58 schools and sign language interpreters in 21 schools. The
use of a sign language interpreter was not possible during all lessons in all schools.
The measures recommended on the basis of this study concern a) amending the Basic Education
Act and the accompanying Government Decrees and regulations in regards to sign language,
and b) solving the present problems in implementation, especially with regard to Finland-
Swedish sign language. On the basis of the information obtained, it is recommended that a separate
project for developing the education of sign language users shall be initiated in order to
obtain more detailed data on the various forms of teaching arrangements and best practices, promote
the arrangement of updating and supplementary training for the teaching staff, and as a result
develop the teaching of sign language as a mother tongue and advance the preparation of
50 22 Due to the classification used in this study, it is not possible to give an exact number (see Table 4) study materials in sign language. In addition, we should be prepared for changes in the field of
administrative legislation and in funding concerning complying with the laws on sign language
use and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Development measure similar to those just described should also be taken in separate projects
concerning pupil groups who use methods to support or replace speech derived from sign
language, such as sign-supported speech and keyword signing
http://www.kl-deaf.fi/
Draft curriculum and structure of Finnish sigh language
http://www.kl-deaf.fi/File/d8da1ffc-e345-4548-8c4c-941a4cf33b4c/FSL_student.pdf
Kuulokynnys/The Finnish Federation of Hard of Hearing
The Finnish Federation of Hard of Hearing (FFHOH) represents the rights and interests of HOH people and provides services for HOH and deafened people and their families.
Tutkimus oph/ Finnish national Board of education, questionnaire about teaching od deaf and signing pupils.
In the autumn of 2013, an electronic questionnaire was sent to the rectors of all primary and
lower secondary schools (children aged 7–16) concerning the teaching of deaf and signing pupils.
Reponses were received from about 50% of Finnish-language schools and from approximately
33% of Swedish-language schools. 49
As a basis for the report on teaching arrangements, information was gathered on the size and
placement of the groups in question. It was reported that deaf and signing pupils, as well as pupils
with varying degrees of hearing loss were enrolled in 304 schools: deaf pupils in 16, hard of
hearing in 218 and pupils with a cochlear implant in 71 schools. In addition, there are pupils who
use sign-supported speech, keyword signing, etc. to either facilitate or replace speech in dozens
of schools. In total, there were 1,313 pupils in the target group, of which deaf or those with varying
degrees on hearing impairment accounted for approximately 500 (see Tables 4 and 14).
In an earlier study (Jokinen 2000), it was reported that there were 258 pupils who had sign
language as their mother tongue, in 14 municipal schools and in 3 state-run schools. At that
time, the situation in Swedish-language schools was not investigated. During the academic year
2013–14, it was reported that there were less than one hundred22 pupils in the participating
schools with sign language as their mother tongue in 23 schools (21 municipal and 2 state-run).
Of the municipal schools, two were Swedish-language, and the pupils in them were reported to
have Finland-Swedish sign language as their mother tongue. Among the municipal schools, 15 reported that a hearing pupil had sign language as either the mother tongue or a second language.
Some of them came from a family that used sign language at home. In total, there are pupils with
sign language as their mother tongue in 23 schools and with sign language as a second language
in 26 schools. Of these, seven have both types of pupils, and thus the total number with pupils
who have sign language as either their first or second language is at least 42 on the basis of this
study.
Sign language teaching is provided in all subjects in five schools, and in some subjects in six
schools. Teaching is provided in sign language as the mother tongue in 15 schools. Responses
were also received concerning the use of sign language as a second language, but because the difference between bilingualism and parallel language use was not rigorously defined in the study,
there was some uncertainty in identifying this group. In any case, the proportion of pupils with
sign language as their first or second language accounts for less than 10% of the total number
of pupils belonging to the target group in this study.
At present, there were only three schools with more than five signing and/or deaf pupils. The
situation concerning the linguistic, cultural and, above all, social development of those pupils not
enrolled in these schools can be considered extremely challenging. School and municipalities
have expertise in relation to hearing impairment, but not so much in relation to sign language and
the associated culture. The use of experts as a support for cultural growth is scanty. Responses
concerning the academic success of the pupils were few and ambiguous due to the great individual
variation, and thus this study was not able to gather reliable data on this topic.
Teaching arrangements were examined from the administrative point of view. The majority
of the deaf are provided special support, and have an extended period of compulsory education.
For this reason, most of their teachers are clinic-type or classroom special education teachers.
(Data was not collected on the teachers' sign language skills in this study.) The use of an individualized syllabus was quite common in all subjects among both the deaf signing pupils (53%) and those with varying degrees of hearing impairment using sign-supported speech or keyword signing (65%). Among the entire target group, classroom assistants had been arranged for the pupils
in 94 schools, personal assistants in 58 schools and sign language interpreters in 21 schools. The
use of a sign language interpreter was not possible during all lessons in all schools.
The measures recommended on the basis of this study concern a) amending the Basic Education
Act and the accompanying Government Decrees and regulations in regards to sign language,
and b) solving the present problems in implementation, especially with regard to Finland-
Swedish sign language. On the basis of the information obtained, it is recommended that a separate
project for developing the education of sign language users shall be initiated in order to
obtain more detailed data on the various forms of teaching arrangements and best practices, promote
the arrangement of updating and supplementary training for the teaching staff, and as a result
develop the teaching of sign language as a mother tongue and advance the preparation of
50 22 Due to the classification used in this study, it is not possible to give an exact number (see Table 4) study materials in sign language. In addition, we should be prepared for changes in the field of
administrative legislation and in funding concerning complying with the laws on sign language
use and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Development measure similar to those just described should also be taken in separate projects
concerning pupil groups who use methods to support or replace speech derived from sign
language, such as sign-supported speech and keyword signing
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