Allowing his circumstances to deter him was never on Rudy Kianda’s to-do list. The Seven Steps Academy for the Deaf learner obtained three distinctions and a 76% aggregate in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results.
Allowing his circumstances to deter him was never on Rudy Kianda’s to-do list. The Seven Steps Academy for the Deaf learner obtained three distinctions and a 76% aggregate in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results.
Rudy, a former learner from the District Six school, lost his hearing at the age of eight following an illness.
He received cochlear implants at age 14. He explained he had never allowed his hearing impairment to prevent him from achieving his goals.
“I was proud of myself when I learned I had passed. I am the type of person who sets goals; I studied in advance. I knew I wanted to go to university. So I worked towards that.”
The school managed to retain its 100% pass rate in the NSC results released last week.
For over 17 years, the school has maintained this achievement.
Lee-Ann Kannemeyer, outgoing principal, said the school had seven matriculants in 2023, five of them with bachelor’s passes and two diploma passes.
“I am exceedingly proud. Our learners are deaf and walk a long, hard road to get to matric. I have been at the school for 17 years, and we always had a 100% pass rate. I am proud of the class of 2023, what with many of the learners with their fair share of challenges.”
The school is an English-medium, auditory-verbal (oral) school catering for deaf learners from Grade R to Grade 12.
She explained that when Rudy came to the school he couldn’t speak English, only French.
“He came to us in Grade 3 without speaking one word of English. He lost his hearing and received a cochlear implant. Now he is off to Stellenbosch University.”
Rudy said he had been accepted to study BA Humanities.
“This is a new journey for me, and I am excited and nervous. It is a dream come true.”
According to Kannemeyer, teaching and learning can often be challenging.
“When these learners matriculate, we celebrate from pre-Grade R up because often the children have been at the school since then.
“They arrive with little-to-no language because of their hearing loss and they learn to speak slowly in the bottom grades.
“By the time they get to high school, they are doing the normal CAPS (Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement) curriculum. We adapt the curriculum up to Grade 6 to give them as much vocabulary as possible. But they write the normal National Senior Certificate exam.”
According to Kannemeyer, the school’s success is due to “hard work” from learners and teachers.
“The teachers put in a lot of extra time and effort. Being hearing-impaired our learners have to put in the extra effort because they can’t take any language or critical thinking for granted.
“Everything has to be taught to them. We learn stuff through residual hearing which our children don’t have. So it’s a lot of hard work for them.”
After five years as principal of the school, Kannemeyer retires at the end of March.
She said the school has six learners in matric this year and wished the class of 2024 well for their final year.
“Sadly, I will not be principal by the time the results are released, but I have every confidence the teaching will remain strong and the ethos the same, and the school will go from strength to strength.”
Kannemeyer said the school aims to prepare learners for the world.
“Our motto at the school is language for life,” she said.
So, as much meaning and language to the lived experience, we can equip these children with the better they will do.”
Rudy encouraged other learners with hearing impairments to strive for excellence.
“Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it,” he concluded.
