Four (4) schools for the Deaf in the Philippines composed of La Salle University Ozamiz School for the Deaf (LSU-SD), Bible Institute for the Deaf (BID) in Valenzuela City, La Salle Green Hills-Adult Night High School Program for Deaf Learners (LSGH-ANHS PDL), and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) with two representatives per school conducted a site visit to selected schools for the Deaf in the US, April 25 to May 2, 2010.
The tour was made possible through the effort of Ms. Theresa Christine dela Torre, the director of Center for Education Access and Development (CEAD) who initiated the creation of the Secondary Education Initiative (SEcI) project to explore the possibility of improving secondary education experiences of Deaf students in the Philippines by creating a Model Secondary School program/s for the Deaf in the Philippines. The Model Secondary School program/s will serve as a benchmark in Deaf education that will inspire the movement towards further enhancement of Deaf education in Philippine Secondary Schools.
A necessary first step of the SEcl Project is to establish the SEcl network with a select number of Secondary Schools with extensive experiences in the education of the Deaf. The aim of the SEcl network is to assist schools in the enhancement of the secondary education experiences of the Deaf and hard of hearing students. This will be done through research undertakings, capacity-building initiatives in Deaf education, Deaf studies, Interpreting, cultural exchange and appreciation, and other related arrangements.
The delegates visited Rochester Institute of Technology National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT-NTID) last April 26 in Rochester, New York. On April 28 they visited the Learning Center for Deaf Children in Boston, Massachusetts and on April 30 the University High School in Los Angeles California.
The visit was facilitated by Dr. Sue Foster, research faculty member in NTID’s Department of Research and Teacher Education; and Nora Shannon, Senior Project Associate of PEN-International.
The purpose of the visit was to provide venue for cooperative and collaborative work that shall contribute to the enhancement of the secondary education experiences of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing students of the partner schools for the Deaf in the Philippines.
The tour was funded by Post Secondary Education Network-International (PEN-Int’l), a global network of universities and colleges with Deaf programs established to help improve the circumstances of Deaf students in post secondary education around the globe. PEN-Int’l headquarters is in Rochester Institute of Technology-National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT-NTID) in Rochester, New York.
The participants composed of Ozamiz LSU President Br. Jaime Dalumpines, FSC and Sarah Talibong of LSU School for the Deaf Program Coordinator; Bible Institute for the Deaf (BID) spearheaded by Elena R. Castillo (Principal / President / Teacher) and Ana Liza C. Sia (Business Manager / Teacher); LSGH-ANHS PDL Mr. Baldwin Noelito I. Que - Moderator, Program for Deaf Learners and Mr. Rheal D. Dayrit, Principal; Mr. John Xandre C. Baliza, Chairperson, Center for Academics of DLS-CSB and Ms. Theresa Christine B. de la Torre, Director, Center for Education Access and Development (CEAD) And PEN-Philippines who also led the Philippine delegation.
(by: Sarah Talibong)
