My story
Helga McGilp
ScotlandAbout me
My Story
“When deaf people travel away from home or far flung countries, there seems to be a common aim in mind: to meet the deaf community of that nation and learn about their culture through them”
(‘Jordan in Tibet’, Jordan Fenlon, 2003, JAMA winner)
My journey to Mongolia started on the Trans-Siberian from St Petersburg to Ulaanbaater. One thing I regretted leaving behind were addresses of deaf schools. Of course no journey would be worthwhile or pose a challenge without experiencing some difficulties along the way! I googled the website for the address of deaf school in Ulaanbaatar and the first paragraph which appeared was the NDCS Cycle Mongolia for 2006!
In Ulaanbaater I hired a driver, booked a hike guide, rode a horse, visited a monastry and slept in a ger in the surrounding countryside for two days. I specifically asked for a guide with good written English. Khishgee was not only a fantastic guide but also an interesting companion. She teaches English at the University of Humanities. With Khishgee’s help we visited a deaf school in Ulaanbaatar. It explained my confusion as to why there was no address on the website, it was just called Number 29.
Located in the eastern side of Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia, the No.29 – the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of Mongolia – The Special School for Blind and Deaf is the only special school of its kind in Mongolia. Opened in mid-1950s the school occupies about 500 deaf pupils, of which 250 board at the school and there are 70 teachers.
Upon arrival deaf children guided me to Sarantuya Magsar, a teacher of deaf. Although she was quite fluent in American Sign Language, Khishgee my guide acted as an interpreter when I asked her specific questions about inclusion. I learnt that there are special classes run in rural areas. S.Magsar claimed that it was impossible to include deaf children in mainstream classes. There is a traditional belief in Mongolia that children with special educational needs should not be in ‘ordinary’ schools with hearing children but be placed in special schools, often boarding schools, or stay at home. The majority of deaf children are taught through sign language, but this was not introduced until 1994.
I observed a Maths class where 16 children were taught orally because they were the ones considered potential university candidates. Ms Magsar guided me around the school, showing children’s pieces of artwork, woodwork and needlework. I was taken through quickly five or six different classes including the gym where I witnessed some teachers playing volleyball. Only four classes out of 40 were equipped with headphones, that were brought from Hungary. Unfortunately most of them were broken. Only two or three children out of 500 have hearing aids. One class were equipped with three or four computers, donated from the United States. In this IT class they received Internet training, learned how to use e-mail and participated in an on-line chat with deaf children receiving similar training in Bayankhongor and Dornod, other towns in Mongolia.
S. Magsar showed me the boarding house. It immediately evoked my memories of Mary Hare, children have to stay at the school for many months before they see their families. At the boarding house I met two deaf care workers Bolormaa and Baasanjav. I learnt from them that at least half of the Mongolian population still lead a nomadic lifestyle and Baasanjav described in vivid detail living in a ger with his parents. They lamented about not being able to save enough money to pay for a visa to go on holidays outside Mongolia. Their average wage per month is only fifty US dollars. (Have they ever been out of the country and how much wd a visa cost?)
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