Ten years of bilingual deaf education in Norway – where are we?
by Arnfinn Muruvik Vonen In 1997, the Norwegian government put into force a new article of the Regulation the the Compulsory School, giving deaf children the individual legal right to sign language tuition and, thereby, to bilingual education involving Norwegian Sign Language and Norwegian. This paper reports on the background for the breakthrough in 1997, but its main focus is on the situation we face today. Issues to be treated include teachers’ competence (most of whom are hearing), school placement (few children now go to special schools), and discourses of cochlear implants (approximately 90% of profoundly deaf children get implants). Special attention will be given to the learning conditions offered by the classroom. Suggested background reading: Pp 63-65 (“Norway”, by SE Ohna and AM Vonen) of R Swanwick & S Gregory: Sign bilingual education – policy and practice, Douglas McLean Publishing, Coleford, Gloucestershire, 2007. Back to top Theme Two: Educational Interpreting Keynote p
