In
contemporary times, the relevance of an improved vocational training in the
social, economic and political development of persons with or without disabilities
cannot be overemphasized. In view of this, every nation should place emphasis
on vocational training, especially those with hearing impairment because of the
nature of their disability. Globally, vocational training empowers individuals
to be independent, self-confident and productive. Aboagye (1999) stated that,
it is impossible to think of a nation’s development without the development of human
resources or skilled training as of immense importance in any effort towards
national development. Some countries such as, Russia and Japan have become industrial
giants through the development of vocational training or skilled training.
Aboagye
(1999) reiterated that, in Ghana, for example, past efforts envisaged towards
educational programmes through vocational training was to meet the development needs
of the country. Since 1957, Government of Ghana and other stakeholders have
made efforts to improve vocational education systems by establishing more
Polytechnics, Teacher Training Colleges, Senior Secondary/Technical Schools and
Basic Schools Vocational training all over the country. However, the effort
made towards vocational education for persons with hearing impairment have not been
sufficient. The insufficiencies of establishing more vocational training
centres at the basic school level have been attributed to lack of facilities
such as comprehensive curriculum, dormitories, teachers, funding, tools and
equipment among others.
Academically,
students with hearing impairment in schools for the Deaf in the country lag
behind their non-disabled peers. They are therefore not able to compete
favourably for opportunities to pursue higher education. In practice, very few
individuals with hearing impairment gain admissions to higher levels of
education as compared with non- disabled individuals in the country. In early 2012, according to report by the
Ministry of Education, stressed that, small percentage of graduates with
hearing impairment from schools for the deaf successfully gain admission to
Senior High Schools, Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities. The
consequence is that, few individuals with hearing impairment have requisite
qualification to gain meaningful employment.
However,
appropriate vocational education designed and implemented in schools and communities
can equip students with skills that would enable them to be gainfully employed
in future. Thus, vocational education serves as training programmes designed in
schools and communities to equip individuals with job-related skills that
prepare individuals to be employed in the future. Durojaiye (1996) emphasized that,
any vocational training programme provided to the hearing impaired must focus
on equipping trainees adequately with skills that would empower them to be
gainfully employed.
The
Demonstration School for the Deaf in Mampong-Akwapim is one of the basic
schools in Ghana, providing vocational education for the hearing impaired.
Presently, the vocational training centre in the school caters for graduates
who have interest in vocational programmes. Students admitted to the vocational
training centre of the Demonstration School for the Deaf are trained to acquire
various skills in hairdressing, catering, dressmaking, batik tie and dye, alongside
English, Mathematics and Sign Language. The researcher, who is a teacher in the
school, observed that, some students from Demonstration School for the Deaf,
sometimes end-up becoming dependent on parents or engaging themselves in menial
jobs such as petty trading, house-helps, shoe-making, carrier boys/girls
(Kayaye), while others beg for alms in the streets, shops, buses, schools and
churches in Accra, Kumasi and other towns and surrounding communities. The
above situations, invariably affect the school’s records, students’
personality, teachers’ image, parents’ ego, society and the nation as a whole.
In view of the above and many others, the
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)(2001)
and International Labour Organization (ILO) (2001) recommendations stressed
that, education and training must form a central pillar to every vocational
programme to help trainees to become more employable in the rapid competitive
market. Furthermore, Gadagbui (1998) highlighted that, there is the urgency to
make vocational training provisions for persons with disabilities. Thus,
providing vocational training must serve as compliment and to general education,
and considered as one of the cardinal needs for basic level students with
hearing impairment.
Based
on the views above, the researcher found it necessary to research into vocational training programmes for the basic
level graduates of Demonstration School for Deaf, so that, students with hearing impairment can be prepared to be functional
and independent in the competitive market
after school.
Statement
of the problem
Vocational training for all
categories of students with disabilities, especially those with hearing
impairment is to provide them with skills for their independent living after
school. However, practical components of the vocational programmes in the curriculum
of the school have not been defined. The Demonstration School for the Deaf
faces challenges in acquiring the needed resources for effective teaching of
vocational programmes. Finally, there is no effective provision made towards
the sustenance of vocational programmes to meet the needs of students in the school, consequently, students
are not adequately prepared to become productive after training.
Purpose
of the study
The purpose of the study was
to examine ways in which vocational programmes for individuals with hearing
impairment at Demonstration School for
the deaf, Mampong-Akwapim can be improved to enhance their practical skills
acquisition for employment and independent living.
Objectives
of the study
The objectives of the study
are to:
·
Find
out teachers’ views toward vocational students with hearing impairment in the
Demonstration School for the Deaf at Mampong-Akwapim.
·
Discuss
how the vocational programmes of the school can be improved for the students.
·
Discuss
challenges the school face in terms of resource acquisition and effective
teaching of vocational programmes in the school.
·
Examine
how the programme can be sustained for students of the Demonstration school for
the deaf.
Research
Questions
The following questions were
raised to guide the data collection process.
1. What are teachers’ views toward vocational students
with hearing impairment in the Demonstration school for the deaf, Mampong- Akwapim?
2. How can the school and other stakeholders help to
build an enriched vocational programme for the students to compete in the
labour market?
3. What are the challenges that impede students’ transition
for better jobs in the society?
4. What provisions are needed to sustain vocational
programmes for students with deafness?
Significance
of the study
The results of the study reveals challenges the School for the Deaf,
face in providing appropriate vocational programmes for students with hearing
impairments to enable them become gainfully employed in the competitive market.
This would enable the Ghana Education Service to provide appropriate support to
the school to enhance teaching of vocational programmes to the students. The results of the study would help Special Schools
for the deaf in the country to ensure that vocational programmes are designed
to benefit individuals with hearing impairment. Also, the results of the study
would enable policy makers to improve upon the infrastructure facilities, and
to provide sufficient funding necessary to keep and offer adequate vocational training for the
hearing impaired. The results would further serve as a useful material for
researchers in the area of vocational training for persons with hearing impairment.
Delimitation
of the study
Even though there are many
special schools for the deaf in Ghana, the study focused on only Demonstration
School for the Deaf, Mampong- Akwapim, in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The
study focused on the vocational subjects, and for the purposes of this study,
the emphasis presently was based on only four (4) vocations such as catering, dressmaking,
batik-tie and dye, and hairdressing.
Limitation
There are very limited
studies on this topic within the Ghanaian context. Also, accessing information
from teachers was more difficult. Finally, printing cost, transportation, time
frame, and effort made by the researcher had direct effect on the study.
Definition
of terms
·
Communication: The activity or process of expressing ideas and
feelings or giving people information.
·
Curriculum: Considered to be everything that transpires in an
educational plan or includes the plans for educational programmes.
·
Disability: Any restriction or lack of ability to perform any
activity in the manner or within the range considered normal of human beings.
·
Placement services: Helping students to find suitable jobs and also
assisting employers to recruit suitable applicants to fill vacant posts.
·
Job opportunities: The chance of one practicing a vocation with the
skills acquired. An employment through which an individual earns a living.
·
Labour market: It refers to the existence of physical and mental
resource of individual’s in the creation of wealth to the system of the
exchange of goods and services
·
Normal: Individuals who have no physical or sensory disability and who can
perform any activity within or above average.
·
Hearing impairment: Is a generic term indicating a hearing loss which
includes the deaf and hard - of hearing ranging from mild (25+decibel),
moderate (40-55decibel) moderately severe (56-70decibel) severe (71-90decibel)
and profound (91+decibel) (Hallahan & Kauffman 2003).
·
Transition: It is the process or a period of changing from one
state or condition to another. For instance transition from school to work.
·
Work/trade/job/career/vocation: Broad concepts that are used interchangeably that refers
to actions that lead to person’s self-sufficiency the welfare of one’s
household and benefit of society.
·
Vocational education/skill-training: Equipping persons with necessary skills which will
enable them to be gainfully employed and live on their own after training,
mostly given to anybody in a trade within the school setting or workshops.
Structure
or organization of research
This study is organized into
five (5) chapters. The chapter one(1) dealt with the introduction, which
consist of the background of the study, statement of the problem, purposes of
the study, objectives of the study, significance of the study, research
questions, delimitation, limitation and structure of the study. The chapter two
(2) covers review of related literature, while chapter three (3) discussed the
methods and techniques that were adopted to collect and analyse the data.
Chapter four (4) examined the data collection, analysis of finding or results
and discussion of results.
Finally, chapter five (5)
dealt with summary of the study, conclusion and recommendations as well as
future implications of the study.
References and Appendices follow at the end of chapter
five (5).
IBRAHIM, A (2019). THE ASSESSMENT OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING OF INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN THE DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF. Afribary.com: Retrieved February 25, 2021, from https://afribary.com/works/research-project-on-the-assessment-of-the-vocational-training-of-individuals-with-hearing-impairment-in-the-demonstration-school-for-the-deaf
ABDUL NUGWA, IBRAHIM. "THE ASSESSMENT OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING OF INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN THE DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF" Afribary.com. Afribary.com, 02 May. 2019, https://afribary.com/works/research-project-on-the-assessment-of-the-vocational-training-of-individuals-with-hearing-impairment-in-the-demonstration-school-for-the-deaf . Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.
ABDUL NUGWA, IBRAHIM. "THE ASSESSMENT OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING OF INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN THE DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF". Afribary.com, Afribary.com, 02 May. 2019. Web. 25 Feb. 2021. < https://afribary.com/works/research-project-on-the-assessment-of-the-vocational-training-of-individuals-with-hearing-impairment-in-the-demonstration-school-for-the-deaf >.
ABDUL NUGWA, IBRAHIM. "THE ASSESSMENT OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING OF INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN THE DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF" Afribary.com (2019). Accessed February 25, 2021. https://afribary.com/works/research-project-on-the-assessment-of-the-vocational-training-of-individuals-with-hearing-impairment-in-the-demonstration-school-for-the-deaf