Ramotswa Centre for Deaf Education

Ramotswa Centre for Deaf Education provides stimulation programme from the age of Two and Half (2½) years to four (4) years. The day-care/nursery programme offers education in line with Early Childhood Education Policy. Special considerations are made for late identified learners who have been identified by Social and Community Development Officers from local authorities or Botswana Society for the Deaf Early Detection of Deafness Programme. Placement for admission at the school is made through assessment and recommendation from a reputable audiologist ant psychologist. The enrollment capacity for nursery is ten (10) learners for both classroom and boarding facility. The stimulation programme allows for learners to be exposed to sign language at a tender age since most of our learners are born to hearing parents.

Ramotswa Centre for Deaf Education provides reception class from the age of four (4) years to six (6) years for learners transiting from the nursery class. Special considerations are made for late identified learners who have been identified by Social and Community Development Officers from local authorities or Botswana Society for the Deaf Early Detection of Deafness Programme. The enrollment capacity for reception is ten (10) learners for both classroom and boarding facility.

The school offers basic education and vocational skills at primary department. The school offers classes from standard 1 to standard 7 while pre-vocational skills empowers learners in dressmaking, woodwork, leatherwork and horticulture. Our learners follow national curriculum and sit for Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) at standard seven. The Ministry of Basic Education provides academic personnel in the form of school management and teachers who specialize in hearing impairment for all streams.

Through the Botswana Examination Council (BEC) the school request permission to employ the special arrangement and special considerations provision when applicable towards learners sitting for PSLE. Special arrangement provides for thirty (30) minutes extra time, scriber, interpreter, video recorder and separate classrooms while special consideration provides for unforeseen circumstances towards the learner.

RCDE offers vocational skills to learners in dressmaking, horticulture, leatherworks, and woodwork through accredited instructors. Under primary school syllabus FCDE offers Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) where we excel in athletics, drama and sports.

The school utilizes the use of technology in classrooms in the form of Smart Board™, computers and tablets to augment language development. After school one (1) hour is set aside to give educational support through evening study and home assignments by hostel staff. Educational entertainment is provided to learners in the form of dance, music and play to modify learners’ behaviour.

Ramotswa Centre for Deaf Education utilizes the service of a full time sign language interpreter whose main responsibility is to interpret to the sign and spoken language. Produce sign language materials and disseminate information to the deaf community. FCDE has a qualified interpreter who is currently engaged as primary teacher.

The school participates in various extra- curricular activities competing at regional and national competitions. The sporting activities the school partakes in are soccer, netball, volleyball and athletics while visual arts are drama and dance categories. These competitions are organized by Botswana Primary School Sporting Association (BOPSSA) and The Broadcasters Organization (TBO)

Our resource class target learners who may not benefit from primary school curriculum identified with multiple disabilities. The purpose of the resource class is to empower learners with practical work and develop their motor skills and skills of daily living. Hence, emphasis is put on training in practical work they perform better at.

The school guidance and counseling teacher and the school matron provide psychosocial support to students, staff and parents of the deaf. The services are offered as one-to-one or group counseling either in-house or through outsourcing. We offer counseling to parents of the deaf who experience denial, child neglect, disclosure medical conditions for boarders’ e.t.c. Whereas Parents Teachers Association augment on negligence, support, service delivery, and academic counseling. Once a year the school organizes a boot camp aimed at learner behaviour modification.

The school speech and language development is carried out by Senior Teacher Language and Interpreting and Senior Teacher Hearing Impairment. The Senior Teacher Language and Interpreting is responsible for English and Sign Language monitoring, teaching and learning, monitoring and evaluation and account for results while Senior Teacher Hearing Impairment responsible of all hearing impairment issue  allocating, care and fitment of hearing aids. The school established and maintains a partnership with audiologist in the region such as MoBE Central Resource Centre, Bamalete Lutheran, Nyangabwe Referral Hospital, Princess Marina Hospital and Sekgoma Memorial Hospital.