Hearing Impairment among Indigenous Australians - Essay Example

Thesis: Hearing impairment among the indigenous Australians tremendously affect their level of education Introduction Health and education of a country is correlated. A classic example of this is the educational implication existing due to hearing loss among indigenous Australians. There is great disparity in the level of education between the indigenous and non-indigenous Australian population. About 2.4 percent of the Australian population is indigenous. Most of them suffer from hearing impairment. It in turn affects their level of education and several other socio- economic factors such as employment status, occupational status etc. As a result the overall development of the country is affected. There are various reasons that cause deterioration in the level of education among indigenous Australians. Implementation of effective methods can raise the level of education among such people. It is also essential to identify the cause of hearing impairment and appropriate preventive measures should be adopted to manage the prevalence of this disorder. There are several policies and strategies implemented by the government to increase the level of education among the indigenous Australians with hearing impairment. In the past 30 years a lot of efforts have been made to increase the level of education among the indigenous Australians with hearing loss. There are various policies and strategies implemented by the government and the non government organization to curb this issue of education among such people. In spite of it, there still needs to be considerable progress made in the level of education among the indigenous population of Australia. Analysis The difference in the level of education among the two sections of the community in Australia affects its literacy rate. A study has revealed that 20 percent of the indigenous students meet the reading standards while 30 percent of them meet the righting standards. About 70 percent of the non-indigenous students meet both the righting and reading standards [Cronin, 2001]. One of the major causes of this difference is hearing impairment among the indigenous population of Australia. About 11 to 60 percent of the indigenous students suffer from hearing loss [Prevention of hearing impairment from chronic Otis media, n. d]. Australia's dominant culture, cultural misunderstanding and prejudices, family background and socio-economic status also attribute to lower level of education among such people. [Cronin, 2001]. The education process existing due to the racial discrimination between the indigenous and the non-indigenous population of Australia also has its implications on education of the indigenous population. Due to this racial difference sometimes, the teachers do not respond well to the needs of indigenous students. However, the major cause of concern is the hearing impairment that persists in this section. Hearing impairment is most prevalent among the indigenous population present in the central and northern Australia. This is mainly caused due to chronic Otis media. The risk factors that lead to this disease are overcrowding and exposure to wood, cigarette smoking, poor hygiene, inadequate housing, and high rate of naso pharyngeal colonization with pathogenic bacteria, Eustachian tube dysfunction, inadequate and unavailable health care [Prevention of hearing impairment from chronic Otis media, n. d]. Poor hygiene is also a main cause for several types of ear diseases which in turn leads to hearing impairment. It generally occurs during childhood, which is the most crucial stage in a person's development. A large percentage of the Australian children suffer from ear infection, which subsequently leads to hearing loss. Most of the infants have perforated eardrums. Hearing impairment affects the overall developmental activity of a child. The nerve between the inner ear and the temporal cortex of the brain is essential for the growth and development of speech and language in children. The language and numerical ability of such children retards due to hearing impairment. Along with the hearing capacity, speech also gets affected. Such children lack phonological awareness and numerical ability. Their ability to read and spell words is much lower than normal children [Partington, n. d]. This drastically affects their level of education. The health and attendance of a student in a school is co-related. Most of the children with hearing impairment do not attend schools regularly. Generally, such children develop ear infection at an early stage that subsequently leads to hospitalization. Hence, they are unable to attend schools regularly [Education, n. d]. In some cases, children do not understand the contents of the teaching in a class, which gradually leads to lose of interest in studies and absenteeism from school. As a result they discontinue their studies. Since children do not take initiative and interest in learning, teachers also gradually loose interest in teaching such students. [Education, n. d]. . In most of the cases, children do not admit their deafness. Hence, they do not respond appropriately to manage their impairment. Since they feel embarrassed about their deafness and do not act appropriately to improve their auditory capacity, they are unable to understand the teachings in a classroom [Access to medical services for people who are deaf, have a hearing impairment or have a chronic disorder of the ear, 2004]. In certain cases, there are indigenous Australian students who are interested in attending schools however; they are unable to do so because of the lack of resources such as hearing aids. Hearing aids can help them manage their deafness to a large extend. Most of the times the families of such children cannot afford to provide them with resources that can help them manage their deafness. Due to the scarcity of such resources, they are unable to grasp the teachings in a classroom [Access to medical services for people who are deaf, have a hearing impairment or have a chronic disorder of the ear, 2004]. Students with hearing impairment cannot cope with the strategies of education for normal children. A study has revealed that about 90 percent of the indigenous Australian children in a classrooms have no eardrums [Access to medical services for people who are deaf, have hearing impairment, or have a chronic disorder of the ear, 2004]. The strategy used for teaching deaf children is completely different from normal children. Since the methodology of education does not match, the requirements of students with hearing loss they are unable to exhibit their potential academically. It is imperative to identify the children with hearing loss so that appropriate measures can be provided to assist them in a classroom. There are various techniques by which it can be detected. Most of the school-going children with hearing loss are not willing to accept the fact that they are deaf and feel embarrassed about their impairment. The best technique to detect it among such children in a classroom is by formulating a questionnaire based on physical and behavioral characteristics indicative of hearing loss. This methodology helps in identifying students with hearing loss to a large extend. [Summary of ear conditions among indigenous Australians, 2005]. In Queensland this method was utilized to check hearing impairment persisting among children in a classroom. The questionnaire was 67 percent sensitive in detecting hearing loss greater than 30 db and 81 percent specific [Summary of ear conditions among indigenous Australians, 2005]. It can also be detected utilizing Pneumatic otoscopy and tympanometry methods. There are different strategies by which the level of education can be improved among such children. The prime aspect of concentration should be the management of the developmental activities such as language and numerical ability. Teachers can contribute to a large extend to attain this objective. They can utilize several strategies to identify the needs of such children. An effective and innovative method of teaching should be implemented to cater those needs. Since they lack numerical and language ability special attention has to be taken to teach these subjects to such students. Mathematical activities can be related to real life scenarios [Frigo, 1999]. The language ability can be enhanced by teaching them the art of lip reading [Successful strategies for education of Aboriginal children and students, 2003] Attendance of such children in schools should be improved. Schools should have positive approach for such children. An unbiased attitude of teachers towards children can develop a positive ambience in schools. The importance of education should be stressed. Counseling the families of children with hearing impairment can help to a large extend in improving the attendance. Families should be educated about the various resources available to improve the hearing loss so that their children make use of these resources and attempt to understand the contents of the syllabus. If a student is consistently absent from school then sensitive and appropriate measures should be taken to deal with them [Successful strategies for education of Aboriginal children and students, 2003]. A study has revealed that in a particular school when the teachers expectations were raised and the children were encouraged in their ability to perform well, it resulted in reducing absenteeism by 94 percent and literacy levels from 13 % to 60% within a span of three years . [Literacy, education and health, n. d]. Children with hearing loss feel dejected and embarrassed about their impairment. A positive attitude should be developed so that they do not consider themselves inferior than other children. Teachers and parents should motivate such children by various innovative and interesting methods such as stories and poetries. Children should be taught to accept their impairment and take measures to deal with this concern positively. Resources such as hearing aids should be readily available to such children. Measures should be taken to provide these resources complimentarily. Regular check ups by efficient doctors in schools can help in detecting this disorder .They should provide resources complimentarily to such students. In case of ear infection or any associated diseases, measures should be taken to treat it immediately so that it prevents further damage. There should be unique strategies developed to teach such children that cater to their needs effectively. Since these children have concern with hearing and speech, the strategy of teaching them should be completely different. Visual cues can be used to teach children with hearing loss. Verbal and non-verbal strategies can be implemented. The acoustics in the classrooms should be improved by various techniques such as curtains, pin-ups, carpets and amplification systems. Locations should be identified where the students are able to hear at their best [Successful strategies for education of Aboriginal children and students, 2003]. The government and non-government organizations have implemented certain policies and strategies to improve the level of education among indigenous Australians with hearing loss. To raise the level of education among indigenous Australians with hearing loss, prevention and management of this disease is imperative. There are ear health management programs launched for the children with hearing loss. Effective steps are taken to curb this disorder at the initial stage. Hearing loss is mainly caused due to Otis media. Hence, there are appropriate treatments provided to infants born with this disease. Community education about prevention of hearing loss is also provided [Summary of ear condition among indigenous Australians, 2005]. The first step towards the prevention of hearing impairment is effective treatment of Otis media. The strategies utilized for the prevention and management of this disease is through , antibiotics, analgesic, surgery and sound amplification. In most of the cases, Otis media is prevented using antibiotics. It is done by providing high dose and prolonged course of antibiotics . Antibiotics can resolve the cases of Otis media by about 94 percent and ear infections by 42 percent. Analgesic and antibiotics are used to treat this disease however the percentage of recovery is higher in case of administering antibiotics. Surgery can also help in the prevention and management of this disorder [Summary of ear condition among indigenous Australians, 2005]. Based on the national goal for English literacy and numeracy strategy "every child leaving primary school should be numerate, and able to read, write and spell at an appropriate level."[ Partington, n. d]. There are steps taken by the nurses and health professionals in schools to identify the ear health concerns persisting among children, student's level of achievement, attendance and behavior. In-service education is provided to teachers. Teachers implement these strategies and take feedback from the students about it. There are steps by which students achievements are measured after the implementation of these strategies [Partington, n. d]. Several organizations such as NSW Department of Education and Training, the Catholic Education Commission, the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc., NSW Department of Health and Aboriginal communities have developed strong links with each other. These organizations have developed strategies to educate parents and teachers about conductive hearing loss [Indigenous education, 2001].Certain services are offered for such children and their families. They have developed certain programs such as "Do you hear what I hear" to decrease the number of concerns due to hearing loss [Partington, n. d]. This program particularly helps teacher in educating their students about breathe, blow and cough strategy that provides short-term relief to the children with hearing loss. There are strategies developed by teacher to teach such students in their schools based on this program. For the effective implementation of these programs, it is imperative that teachers understand the context of these strategies and are receptive to the change in the teaching strategy. Activity based teaching is implemented in classroom for such children. There are steps taken by the government and non-governmental organization to ensure that the teachers effectively implement these programs. In case the teachers do not implement the strategy effectively, then measures are taken to ensure that they understand the effectiveness of this program [Partington, n. d]. There are affordable hearing health services provided to the students whose families belong to the low-income group. Policies have been implemented by the government in accordance with the national policy of education to achieve improved access and participation in education of such children. Government has taken measures to improve attendance in schools by educating the parents about the necessity of education. They have ensured that parents have the skills and confidence to support their children's education. They have made strategies to monitor and report school attendance. The curriculum is made as per the health and cultural needs of the students. They have designed mentoring projects for children. Best practices teaching methods are implemented in the classroom to raise the expectations of parents, teachers and students. Efforts are also made to support families and parents to overcome social problems that make it difficult for them to get involved in their children's education [Australian Government -Department of education. Science and training, n. d]. To increase the level of education among the indigenous population of Australia, a task force is established by MYCEETA .This task force did their work in two phases. In the first phase, a draft of policy is made about the education of indigenous Australians. The second phase lead the way in establishing outcome-based approach in their education." This task force provided advice to the ministers on achieving educational equality for this section of population. They also provided strategies for enhancing current performance and monitoring framework for the commonwealth indigenous education strategic initiatives programs. The task force provided advice to the commonwealth on the development of the National indigenous English literacy, numeracy strategy and the national indigenous student's schools attendance strategy." [MYCEETA task force for indigenous education, 2000]. There has been considerable progress made in the field of education of the indigenous Australians with hearing impairment . The participation of such children in schools have increased tremendously. The retention rates of children has increased from single digits to 32 percent. There were about 3800 parent committees formed by 1998. These students seeking higher education have increased from 100 to 7800 in 1998. There is almost equal rate of participation in schools achieved among the Australian population between the age of 15 to 24 years [Australian Government -Department of education. Science and training, n. d]. The increase in the level of education is generalized in this data without attributing the increase to a specific cause. A major credit for this achievement goes to the government and non-government organization for taking various initiatives to manage and prevent deafness [Australian Government -Department of education, Science and training, n. d]. In spite of all these ,there still needs to be a lot of progress made in the field of education for these children [MYCEETA task force for indigenous education, 2000]. Conclusion The hearing impairment has its own implications on the educational equality persisting in Australia. The education among the indigenous Australians with hearing loss mainly exists due to retarded developmental activity , lack of appropriate teaching strategies , absenteeism from school and lack of motivation among teachers and such students. Education to such children can be provided by implementing steps to manage and prevent their deafness, strategies to increase attendance and introducing new methodologies of teaching . Government has taken various steps to achieve educational equality . If this has to be attained, then hearing impairment has to be prevented at the grass root level. In order to do this the primary cause has to be identified and a nation wide awareness program has to be launched. There has to be appropriate ,effective and affordable treatment offered to people with hearing loss. It becomes all the more imperative to do this because a large percentage of the indigenous Australian population suffer from this impairment which in turn affects the level of education. Hearing impairment is a disorder which has long term implications on the developmental activity of an individual and the country hence it has to be dealt with seriously. Literacy rate of a country affects the socio economic status which is essential to its development. Equal opportunity of education should be provided to both indigenous and non indigenous Australian population. There has been great progress made in the field of education for the indigenous students in the past 30 years. All the efforts made in this field will be considered beneficial only if there is 100 percent literacy rate achieved among indigenous Australian population. Hearing impairment should no longer be a hindrance to attaining education among indigenous population of Australia. References 1.Gary Partington, n. d, Receptivity of teachers to implementing new strategies for literacy teaching viewed 27th July 2005 retrieved from http://66.102.7.104/searchq=cache:_xHM2l7dRFoJ:www.aare.edu.au/03pap/par03581.pdf+why+do+education+get+affected+among+indigenous+australians+with+hear+loss&hl=en&start=1 2.Rebacca Cronin, 2001, Addressing educational inequality for urban indigenous students viewed 28th July 2005 retrieved from http://66.102.7.104/searchq=cache:i3A1B3U-xd8J:www.wwwords.co.uk/pdf/validate.asp%3Fj%3Dciec%26vol%3D2%26issue%3D3%26year%3D2001%26article%3DCronin_colloq_CIEC_2_3+educational+implication+due+to+hear+loss+among+indigenous+australians&hl=en&start=1 3.Tracey Figo, 1999, Resources and teaching strategies to support aboriginal children's numeracy learning- A review of the literature viewed 28th July 2005 retrieved from http://66.102.7.104/searchq=cache:CRgZ6SHfab0J:www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/aboriginal_research/pdf_doc/aborchildnum_litreview.pdf+strategies+to+develop+numerical+ability+and+language+development+among+hear+loss+indigenous+australian&hl=en&start=1 4.Access to medical services for people who are deaf, have a hearing impairment or have a chronic disorder of the ear, 2004 viewed on 27th July 2005 retrieved from http://66.102.7.104/searchq=cache:-_hRwGLcetQJ:www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/health/deafness.doc+why+do+education+get+affected+among+indigenous+australians+with+hear+loss&hl=en&start=3 5.Education, n. d, viewed on 27th July 2005 retrieved from http://66.102.7.104/searchq=cache:1ugacKtCOi8J:www.communities.qld.gov.au/community/publications/documents/pdf/capeyork/02_cyjs_08.pdf+why+do+education+get+affected+among+indigenous+australians+with+hear+loss&hl=en&start=9 6.Successful strategies for education of Aboriginal children and students, 2003 viewed on 29th July 2005 retrieved from http://www.aboriginaleducation.sa.edu.au/a8_publish/modules/publish/content.aspnavgrp=Educators&id=strategies 7. Indigenous education, n. d viewed on 29th July 2005 retrieved from http://cms.curriculum.edu.au/anr2001/ch10_intro.htm 8. MYCEETA taskforce on indigenous education, 2000 viewed on 30th July 2005 retrieved from http://66.102.7.104/searchq=cache:JCEiDn9-144J:www.mceetya.edu.au/pdf/reportm.pdf++measures++taken++avoid++education++implications++among++indigenous++australians++loss++&hl=en&start=5 9. Prevention of hearing impairment from chronic Otis media, n. d, viewed on 30th July 2005 retrieved from http://66.102.7.104/searchq=cache:mtyblLg7i1IJ:www.who.int/entity/pbd/deafness/en/chronic_otitis_media.pdf++prevention++educational++implications++australian++indigenous++hearing++loss++&hl=en&start=7 10.Australian Government- Department of education, science and training, n. d, National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy (NIELNS) viewed on 30th July 2005 retrieved from http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/indigenous_education/policy_issues_reviews/national_indigenous_english_literacy_and_numeracy_strategy.htm#Element1 11. Literacy, education and health, n.d viewed on 27th July 2005 retrieved from http://66.102.7.104/searchq=cache:x6pwWDO0tUkJ:www.hollows.org/upload/3386.pdf+educational++implications++indigenous++hearing++loss++&hl=en&start=10 12.Summary of ear conditions among Indigenous Australians, 2005 viewed on 28th July 2005 retrieved from http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/html/html_health/specific_aspects/other_aspects/ear_conditions/ear_conditions_2.htm#summary Read More