Miss South Africa 2024 at the event that was held at Transoranjee School for the Deaf to highlight the importance of inclusivity for Deaf Awareness month. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/Independent Newspaper
When Miss SA 2024 Mia le Roux got crowned, she said her advocacy would be inclusivity and to create a sense of belonging for everyone. The Gauteng Department of Education says it wants its grade 5 learners to learn South African Sign Language (SASL).
On Tuesday, le Roux honoured the invitation to attend a Sign Language and Music Enhancement Mini Festival at Transoranje School for the Deaf in Pretoria.
“I believe diversity is extremely important and very special as well as we all bring something different and unique to the table.
“And when we all bring something to the table, it gets so much stronger and it well benefits South Africa as well. So in that aspect, I do believe that diversity is beautiful. It should be celebrated and it is so important,” she said.
Le Roux further added how important education is and emphasised that it is important to equip and empower life as a woman.
Le Roux was asked how the country can do more to ensure that there is better inclusivity and also how people with disabilities can be respected.
“There is a lot we can do but the starting point is to find the right information, the information is out there. There are programmes that teach you on how to be inclusive.
“Take some initiative to actually reach out and educate yourself on how to be inclusive because the information is out there, it is not that difficult. At the end of the day, we all need some compassion, some kindness and empathy.”
The mini festival was hosted by the Gauteng Department of Education in order to showcase and highlight the diverse range of certified skills learners acquire through the Multi-Certification Skills Programme.
The mini festival was to highlight that inclusivity begins early in the education system and to introduce the SASL to hearing learners from Grade 5.
Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Matome Chiloane was also present at the event.
“This event is a celebration of talent, inclusivity and the transformative power of communication in all its forms.
“Since 2015, we have been committed to laying the ground for a more inclusive community by introducing basic South African sign language to our grade 5 learners.
“The beauty about all of this is that we are going to teach all of our grade 5 learners in our schools the basics of South African Sign Language,” said Chiloane.
He said they were aiming to demonstrate learner progress in their signing abilities, to illustrate programme achievements, to foster relationships between the deaf and hearing people.
He added that their initiate also includes providing a platform and advocate for the South African sign language as the new official language of our country in South Africa.
Senior provincial manager for Gauteng at the Pan South African Language Board, Dr Sally Maepa, said they were trying to standardise the SASL so that there can be a formal and professional vocabulary for interpreters and for the education sector.
The school children got a chance to teach the audience at the event how to sign some words such as, interesting, yes, no and why.
IOL