Lindeners ‘sign’ their way to victory
SEN Officer, Savvie Hopkinson
SEN Officer, Savvie Hopkinson

– at third annual ‘Signing Bee’ contest

THERE’S an old saying that says there’s no limit to learning, and this was proven so true on Wednesday when two students from the Linden Special Needs Centre dominated the Ministry of Education’s third annual “Signing Bee” competition.

The victors were Ulancy Emanuel, who’d won the competition before, and her schoolmate, Troy Scott.

The contest was held at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), and saw students from, besides Linden, the David Rose, New Amsterdam and Diamond Special Needs Schools, and Harmony Secondary School in hot contention for the coveted prizes.

It was organised for students between the ages of 10 and 13 who are either deaf or hearing impaired, and required that participants spell words by way of sign language as they were presented to them in pictures.

The competition was staged in two categories, whereby Category One saw Linden’s Troy Scott placing first, followed by Abigail Jairam and Samuel Foo, both of New Amsterdam, in second and third place respectively.

‘Signing Bee’ champions Troy Scott and Ulancy Payne, both of Linden

Category 2 was won by Linden’s Ulancy Emanuel, and saw Satesh Rajkumar of New Amsterdam and Tamar Clark of Diamond placing second and third respectively.
Speaking at the event was National Special Education Needs Officer, Savvie Hopkinson who noted that the competition is a way for students who are hearing impaired to demonstrate their academic progress.

“It opens a window for those locked out of the universe of sound, but who live in a world of imagination and form mental images through the eyes of the mind,” Hopkinson noted.
She went on to explain that the purpose of the event is to stimulate the language faculty of students by expanding their vocabulary, and enhancing the stock of words they possess so they can better apply them in their work and lives.

“The competition provides a platform for special schools to stage their educational quality, expand the capacity of the students to perform well in the curriculum, while having fun through a decentralising approach,” Hopkinson said, adding:
“It also permits students in the Regions to compete and prove themselves against their counterparts in Georgetown.

“To us (at SEN), commitment to special needs education and sign language is more than a body of knowledge to be learned; rather, it is a social practice to be engaged and understood.”

Sign language, Hopkinson said, is crucial to the members of the deaf community, as it their only means through which their ideas, imagination, creativity and achievement flow out to the rest of society and among themselves as a selective group.
“This ‘Signing Bee’ competition is about vocabulary building, and the power of memory,” she said.

“It reminds us that persons with the disability of deafness also have communication needs. It provides for the requisite education for a good life through the rich diversity of our culture, and contributes to the social development.”

In his opening remarks, Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson noted that the competition is a demonstration that there are no boundaries to learning.
He explained that the competition has become a signature event, in that it seeks to celebrate the competence of those with special educational needs, particularly in the area of the deaf.

Huston stressed that the Ministry of Education continues to work and remains committed in the area Special Education Needs with the construction the Regional Centre for Stimulating the Development of Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs Associated with Disabilities at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).

“There is now a centre designed to detect persons with issues at an early stage, so that we can make the necessary interventions to ensure that our children are captured early so they can move on with their lives as they receive the appropriate treatment,” he said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.