Major educational problems of the hearing impaired students and strategies for tackling them: The case of two schools in Ethiopia

The study investigated the major educational problems of the hearing impaired and strategies used for tackling them. The study was conducted in Mekanisa School for the Deaf (Addis Ababa) and Hermata Primary School (Jimma). The selection of subjects was based on availability sampling method. The methods used to gather information from respondents were interviews, questionnaire, focus group discussion and classroom observation checklist. The major educational problems identified in the study were that the teachers were either insufficiently trained or not trained at all, the curricula were incompatible with the capacity of hearing impaired, teachers have low command in total communication, hearing impaired students lack parental support and instructional materials, educational authorities were indifferent to the education of hearing impaired students, and the students lack interest in academic subjects. A statistically significant difference was observed between moderately and profoundly hearing impaired students in mathematics achievement (t=8.456) and in average academic achievement (t=10.158) identified in this study. The researcher of this study invites the concerned authorities of the Ministry of Education and teachers to take the necessary measure as much as possible in order to solve the major problems of the hearing impaired students of the study sites. In addition, parents should be given training to make a follow up support for their hearing impaired children. If the major problems of the hearing impaired students are solved, they could contribute their share in building the tomorrow’s industrialized Ethiopia.