[Ict4devwg] Learning to read and write to SMS

[Vern Weitzel]

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/education/2009/05/846296/
  	
Learning to read and write to SMS
17:17' 07/05/2009 (GMT+7)

VietNamNet Bridge – No sound was heard in the classroom; no one was seen 
whispering to his or her neighbour while the teacher was giving the lesson. This 
is a special class, and the teachers only hope their students will be able to 
send text messages.


Teacher Minh and her special class

This was the Vietnamese language lesson of KTA class at Binh Thuan Primary 
School in Tuyen Quang town of Tuyen Quang province. The nine students intently 
watched the mouth and gestures of the teacher.

The students here never make a fuss like students in other classes, because this 
is a special class, where students communicate with body language and gestures.

Kieu Minh, a teacher of KTA class, related that the four male and five female 
students in the class each have their own unique situation. The oldest student 
here, Bui Thi Thuy, is 23 years old, while Nguyen Thi Hanh is the youngest at 9.

Nguyen Thi Thuy and Dang Hong Hieu are following the curriculum designed for 4th 
class students, while the other seven are following the curriculum for 2nd class 
students. Therefore, the class is called the ‘2 in 1 class’.

The ‘2 in 1 class’

For every lesson, teacher Minh splits the blackboard into two parts. When she 
teaches the lessons for 2nd class students, all nine students participate, but 
when she gives lessons for the 4th class students, the seven just sit and smile.

There are 672 students in the school, including 40 handicapped ones who are deaf 
and dumb or have mental disorders.

“Normal students learn so as they can pass to higher class levels, while 
handicapped students learn just to integrate into the community and learn how to 
send mobile phone messages,” said Tran Thi Thuy, Headmaster of the school.

Teacher Minh has 15 years of teaching special students. Minh related that she 
only took a 12-day training course 10 years ago; therefore, she has had to teach 
and learn at the same time. Especially, she has had to learn to use body language.

Binh Thuan Primary School still does not have teachers trained to teach 
handicapped children.

Thuy said that the province still has no centre to take care of special 
students. Meanwhile, what the school can do is to provide them with primary 
education. No student has reportedly continued a higher education programme.

Thuy said that she hopes there will be a secondary school for handicapped 
students. If so, they would have a chance to study further.

On average, students with mental and certain physical disabilities require 
around 10 years to complete the curriculum for primary education, as they have 
to spend two years for every class level. Many of these special students don’t 
begin going to school until they are 20 years old already.

Duc Chinh – Anh Ngoc