Explain who you are and your background.
This is my sign.
And my name is Menchu,
I am the current headmaster
at the school for the deaf
Josep Pla Special Education Centre,
part of the Ministry of Education’s
Barcelona Education Consortium.
I have been working here for 26 years now.
It's been an enriching experience,
and I have been able to make significant changes.
I was born into a hearing family,
and from the age of three,
I attended the Cras School in Sabadell.
An oralist school
that, back then,
did not let us use sign language.
I communicated orally,
but with my peers, I used gestures.
I joined the basketball team
and played against other deaf schools
like La Purísima, the Municipal School,
back then I was surprised to see sign language.
I didn't accept it.
I considered it low-minded.
I communicated well orally,
so I didn't recognise myself as a deaf person.
I was a deaf person
disguised as a hearing person.
I was pretending like
everything was fine.
But I couldn't communicate fully.
Too much effort.
Until I finished EGB,
equivalent to primary school,
and we were sent to different centers.
The basketball teams disbanded,
but the Deaf Association of Sabadell
took over.
And I started playing with them
against other
teams.
It was the first step to connect
with the deaf community,
the first step that led me to sign language.
I started signing at the age of 14.
And thanks to this language,
I recognised myself as a deaf person.
I discovered who I was,
my personality...
...sign language also helped my reading comprehension,
my social interactions...
I was amazed by the cultural activities
of deaf associations, their sense of humour...
Before learning to sign,
jokes never made me laugh, I didn't understand them.
I needed sign language.
It was like a gift!
With LSC, in addition to laughing,
I thought better, understood the world,
and everything was clearer.
I started thinking and mentally translating into LSC,
and my reading comprehension improved significantly.
Before LSC, learning was difficult
and not complete.
Without an interpreter at university,
I could only copy notes.
I was resilient, and if I failed,
I'd make efforts to study more.
It was a tough time,
I studied as best I could,
putting in triple the effort.
I wanted to graduate...
I became an activist
in the deaf community.
Very involved in the youth movement,
very demanding, until time
moderated me.
Today, diplomacy allows me to give the gift of LSC,
change people's perspective
and help others accept it.
I try to make myself understood
and communicate with other points of view,
seeking a change in mindset.
LSC is my language, an essential right for my well-being.
But since the oralism era,
LSC is not allowed. It's seen as a danger.
For me, it is evident that LSC helped me.
Have you been involved in the associative world?
Thanks to sign language,
I got involved in the associative movement,
in FESOCA, in CNSE
and European entities.
I was president of Youth Section
of the Catalan Deaf Federation,
president of CNSE's
Youth Section when this position was created.
And I was also vice president
of the European Union of Deaf Youth.
I came into contact...
with deaf people from Europe
who were studying at university,
with an interpreter,
and I learned about bilingual education.
I took advantage of my visits
to deaf schools,
which served as an educational model
and inspiration for educational materials.
Now, when the interns come,
I introduce them to bilingualism.
Apparently, at university,
they've never heard of the model.
Here they see it. We are a training centre.
And deaf alumni,
who come for internships, want to stay.
How was your academic training?
In formal education,
there is absolutely no information
about the existence of bilingual education.
Everything that is said today
still holds the view
that deaf students
must oralise to gain reading comprehension
and integrate socially.
Although this has been outdated for years.
I visited schools in Helsinki
that followed the bilingual model.
This has nothing to do
with what we offer in Catalonia.
There I learned what bilingualism was.
Deaf and hearing teachers understood each other,
everyone was a good signer.
The curriculum
was in Finnish Sign Language.
They had a complete video library.
Educational materials with subjects on VHS, on video.
This method helps students develop
reading competence like a second language,
based on sign language,
as with their mother tongue.
A natural language through which
they can communicate
and allowed them to learn
and learn
more quickly and effectively.
We had to import the model!
Tell us a bit about social education and integration.
There was a time
when families were deaf parents
who mastered sign language.
and the deaf children were very competent signers.
And, therefore, the school enjoyed
good linguistic health
which nourished the associations
and enlivened cultural activity.
A generation of deaf young people emerged
with university education.
With the decree of inclusive education,
special education centres
started disappearing.
Deaf students were integrated
into different schools,
without anyone to communicate with in their language.
Our community
decayed and diminished.
And now, the existence of Catalan Sign Language (LSC)
and the associations is in danger.
We are losing linguistic references.
Before, our cultural life was transgenerational
and, naturally, the community
offered generational continuity and cohesion.
This rich heritage is now fading,
and there are fewer young people
going to the associations.
Young people who are isolated
behind social media,
with no face-to-face activities.
Before, in the associations,
everyone was deaf except
for some hearing administrative staff.
An empowerment
that attracted young people
who had role models and felt relevant and welcome.
With inclusion, this has been lost,
and young people in this situation
feel truly alone,
isolated, and have serious problems
with social exclusion.
All of this has been done in the name of inclusion.
And now it's time to ask
do we have active inclusion?
Participatory inclusion?
Although physically included,
as citizens
do they enjoy social rights? Do they have social skills?
Psychologically, do they feel well?
Our situation
has worrying effects.
Inclusion has not had the expected social outcomes.
It is necessary to fix what has been broken.
The relationship between peers is important
to feel secure and not strange,
to share a common identity
and not feel alone.
The situation is critical
and the outlook is not good.
A significant crisis?
We are facing an increase in mental disorders,
lack of communication in families.
Language deprivation affects
psychosocial development.
This situation compromises mental health, right?
Children who don't communicate develop cognitive delay
and will eventually be diagnosed with other disorders
and then be medicated...
...without linguistic therapy, without the cohesion of their community,
alone, deprived of their language,
they will become worse. It's difficult
Some are sent to the associations,
but they no longer find young people.
One of the big associations
is in Badalona.
They have open doors
for young people to come
without pressuring them to become members.
They can become members later on.
when they need an interpreter.
Some associations
on the third visit
make you pay a fee.
But young people don't have money
and they don't understand that requirement.
Associations should follow this policy
for young people,
and allow them to
start paying progressively.
I envision associations in the future
becoming mere social service offices.
Because they are no longer a space for leisure.
Not because they function poorly,
but because young people no longer sign
due to schooling they receive; only remnants of what it once was remain.
Associations were the spaces
where I built my identity,
empowered myself,
experienced the culture of the deaf community
and created a bond with it.
Seeing its current situation...
...difficult and complicated...
Are you the country's only signing deaf headmaster?
At university,
they wanted to expel me.
They said that a deaf person
couldn't be a teacher,
because I was too exposed.
And they advised me to choose a career
that didn't involve public interaction.
It hurt knowing that they wanted to expel me.
I couldn't allow them
after so much effort
to stop me from studying at university.
But I never dreamed of being a headmaster.
In the classroom, I've always felt happy.
It is a very rewarding job
and you are constantly learning.
Until little by little,
my colleagues insisted
that I take on the role of headmaster.
And how long did the entrance exam last?
After two and a half hours,
they stopped asking me questions.
I passed with a very good mark,
but all those questions weren't necessary.
Three questions like the rest would have sufficed,
not an interrogation from each panel member.
But it was exciting
to know that I was the first deaf person
at the helm of a school.
I was aware of what it meant.
Sign language
would now be present
in meetings with the Administration.
Without the presence of a deaf person,
sign language becomes invisible.
Sign language gained in status.
And from then onwards,
school headmasters
looked to me for advice
on deaf students,
and I can guide them.
Now they know me,
they take me more into account.
You are the country's first signing deaf headmaster. And in Europe?
I'm the first deaf headmaster,
with the exception of the Canary Islands,
not signing.
And in Europe, there have been deaf headmasters in London for a long time.
In France and Sweden.
With a beard,
what can I say?
Better without.
Good morning!
Come!
Can't you see me?
Good morning!
Is the educational model at Josep Pla bilingual?
This school follows a bilingual model.
That means that the first language,
and the vehicular language, is sign language.
And all teaching and non-teaching staff
are proficient in signing.
Do all teachers sign?
Yes, everyone does!
That way, both students and teachers
can enjoy a signing environment.
How many teachers do you have?
We have 14 teachers.
Do all of them know sign language?
Yes, they all do!
How many bilingual schools are there in Catalonia?
In Barcelona, there are 2.
And these are the only ones in Catalonia.
Josep Pla,
and an ordinary school.
There used to be a secondary school,
but that disappeared.
It's sad, but
there are no more in all of Catalonia.
And why is that?
The CREDA for regions
is unaware of deaf community
sign language
accessibility, bilingualism.
They are quite lost.
And linked to implants.
Doctors believe that implants
improve auditory rehabilitation
and voice production.
Now we are starting to see children
with serious psychological problems,
difficulties in cognitive development,
low self-esteem,
insecurity, restlessness,
discomfort due to difficulties communicating,
and all that ends up affecting them.
Some overcome it,
thanks to family support.
But most don't.
Other schools ask me
about the well-being of the children at Josep Pla.
Here they have a full social life,
and they have friends outside of school.
They participate in sports,
gain autonomy,
develop social skills,
make friends outside of school,
and when they reach the right age, they look for jobs.
Do you have deaf teachers?
We started with one deaf teacher,
and now there are four;
the rest are hearing.
Growth has been gradual,
and we hope to achieve parity
in the future.
A numerical balance.
Right now, we're at 30%.
We're not far from 50%.
But it's already satisfying.
Before, I felt too lonely,
until another deaf teacher arrived,
and now we have a cohesive signing team.
It's more important that communication
is fluent rather than whether someone is deaf or hearing.
There's a great atmosphere,
harmony, and we enjoy our work.
We cooperate, exchange strategies,
converse, debate,
explain problems to each other,
support each other,
and congratulate each other on our achievements.
Is there a relationship between language deprivation and literacy?
Without language, thought cannot be constructed.
If there is no access to sign language
among kids aged 0-3,
this affects the brain.
We miss the period of maximum plasticity,
and we compromise literacy.
To have good reading comprehension,
prior communicative competence is required.
Just like hearing children,
who, at the age of 0-3,
understand and speak
by the age of 3 already communicate well.
When they arrive at school...
they continue to develop communication,
learning the letters,
new words,
new language structures,
and by 5, they are already prepared
for literacy.
In the case of deaf children,
during this stage,
they experience language deprivation
because they lack linguistic input
and are not exposed to communication.
And this affects them neurologically,
aggravating language deprivation.
The first thing we do when they arrive
is teach them sign language.
To help them communicate
and be able to talk to them about letters, words.
When they quickly learn to sign,
they also learn to read fluently.
And if signing is challenging for them,
literacy is also challenging.
But we also have deaf signers
who have not had a good process
in literacy.
Here we link sign language
with reading, and they progress well.
We also work on translating
from sign language to writing.
It's more complex than reading.
We help them become aware
of the differences in language structures,
how certain types of sentences are formulated
and the word order in both languages.
We translate from one language to another.
They have to read texts in one language
and express them in sign language.
And we link words from the text
with the signs they use.
This helps build their vocabulary.
Other factors that have an impact
include the family's interest
in getting involved in the literacy process.
All this can contribute to their development...
...and individual differences also play a role.
- What is the name of the 1st historical period?
- Ancient or prehistory... - History
What was Josep Pla like at first?
A bit challenging.
I had seen the bilingual model
but I hadn't assimilated it.
It was deaf signing parents
with deaf children who signed very well
who wanted the European bilingual model.
They empowered me,
and I took notice of the experiences in Finland,
London, Belgium, and the Toulouse school,
which was bilingual.
Here, we started from scratch,
without any reference.
But I trusted those parents,
and they trusted me.
We had our differences,
but I made an effort to understand
this method.
We all wanted the same thing.
The parents and I were determined
for the children to go
to university.
And it was necessary to work hard.
At first, we used the bimodal system,
but it didn't completely convince us.
It was necessary to understand each language well
and not mix them.
I insisted on teaching LSC,
which we taught twice a week,
like any other foreign language.
To learn its grammar,
structure and parameters.
We recorded ourselves to correct mistakes.
We wanted signed expression
that was genuine and good.
Who decides who comes to Josep Pla? What is the process like?
Access to Josep Pla
depends on the EAP,
which, together with CREDA,
determines for each child
the most suitable education system
and directs them towards oral education.
When they have other disabilities
besides deafness
or severe language deprivation,
they are directed towards sign language.
The students they send us
are seriously affected.
But there are other students
who aren't,
but whose parents prefer this option.
To offer them a space
in a signing environment
where they can develop
as deaf individuals.
And not because other schools
lack sufficient resources
or there isn't a signing speech therapist,
but because they wouldn't have anyone to sign with.
The families who choose the school
for these reasons
are often rejected
and have to fight to secure a spot.
Our student body
is very diverse:
some follow the regular curriculum,
which we try to make accessible for them.
What is your student body like?
Ours is a very comprehensive school
that provides attention to diversity:
special education,
curricular adaptations
and the option to follow the regular curriculum,
depending on their abilities.
Can families choose Josep Pla?
The administrative school commission
assigns to us the students it deems appropriate
and pre-enrols them.
But families cannot choose us
during pre-enrolment.
They must go to the EAP for evaluation.
So, families do not have the right
to choose this centre directly.
The EAP conducts an evaluation
and recommends a nearby centre
with signing resources.
Some families
from the metropolitan area
want to come to this school
but find it very difficult to get in.
And they have to resort to strategies
like collecting signatures online
to secure a spot here.
For students from other regions, it's very complicated.
Sometimes, a speech therapist
talks to us about certain
deaf individuals who feel lonely,
can't keep up at school,
are nervous and violent
and regularly miss class.
They believe they would be better off here,
but they cannot transfer them
because they do not live nearby.
There's a lack of sensitivity.
I understand that if there were other schools
with bilingual programs and accessibility
the division by zones would be prioritised.
But often, this is not the case.
And that's why many want to come here.
It seems we are in danger
of becoming a highly requested centre,
and the Administration is trying to contain it.
But it's not a competition.
We work with the students
enrolled in the centre.
4 to 2.
- Do you like it?
- It's very sweet, isn't it?
- I like sweet things.
What is the academic future of your students like?
We had a generation
in which many pursued high school
and university.
It was a generation of children with deaf parents.
For the current generation,
some will pursue vocational training,
higher vocational training,
and, with effort,
may pursue a degree.
But now we also find
students
who have language deprivation,
who got a late start
with sign language,
and have psychosocial problems.
After linguistic therapy,
and by adopting as role models
deaf youths who went to university...
...we encourage them,
without hiding the sacrifice
and commitment it involves.
Now they have accessibility, interpretation,
but they have to fight like everyone else.
We had a group of newcomers
aged 14 and 15
who had no spoken or signed language,
and had never studied before.
We started from scratch
in the reception class,
prioritising signed communication.
After 3 years,
they could communicate competently,
had developed social skills
and had greater self-esteem.
Some wanted to do high school
for people over 25,
while others pursued vocational training.
These are long paths,
but there are always doors
into the education system.
Sooner or later, with hard work,
they achieve their goals.
And if they don't,
they have to accept it,
but it won't be because of being deaf.
There are other goals,
such as finding a job.
A deaf person
can do anything.
And if one encounters barriers,
there are alternative paths.
Is there sign language attention in the critical stage from 0 to 3 years?
During this stage,
it is essential to tell stories,
sign songs
and stimulate the senses
of the deaf child.
This is the main tool
for promoting communication:
stimulation of all the senses.
But in Catalonia, this option does not exist.
It may seem like great progress
pronouncing a word,
but we must aim higher.
The goal is communication,
with feedback,
quality communication,
active communication.
This is often overlooked,
and one settles
for just one word.
Do students communicate at home?
There is a noticeable difference between
children with signing parents,
who are much better off, and other parents.
We advise them to learn to sign.
There are applications
that can help.
The children in school are happy
from the moment they arrive until they leave.
They express themselves fully,
and when they go home,
they carry a backpack full of emotions,
but it can be very frustrating
when they try to explain something to their parents
and they don't understand them. It happens.
They need sign language like they do food.
Children who lack communication
with their parents over the weekend
are restless when they return.
Lack of communication generates uneasiness.
And when you manage to calm them down,
they tell you that they're bored at home,
feel isolated,
and spend all day watching TV.
If they go out with their parents,
they don't know how to explain where.
You have to ask questions using gestures.
There is no family communication.
Some tell me with gestures,
and I end up putting words to it.
During the week,
this restlessness disappears,
and by Friday, they're happy.
But on Monday they're upset again.
The older ones don't experience this anymore
because they hang out with friends
over the weekend.
Sometimes they ask us
to contact their families
and tell them about the summer camps,
camps with sign language.
We explain to families how important these are.
How do you work on reading?
Understanding through interpretation.
Recognising linguistic structures
to acquire semantic and phonological awareness.
Otherwise, they would end up reading mechanically
without understanding.
Or they would interpret the text differently.
It is extremely important
that children sign what they read
to someone capable of detecting
deviations from the text, correcting,
capturing nuance.
That's how they learn
and develop an interest
in reading.
Sometimes, we focus
on polysemous words
and explain them.
We also work through semantic fields,
and, above all, context.
Only a teacher
who is fully competent
in sign language
can help the student
learn and progress.
What would you ask the Administration? How would a blank check improve the centre?
The first thing I'd ask the Administration for
is a permanent interpreter at the centre.
Because for every meeting,
I have to manage the request myself.
Often, there are no available interpreters,
and changes have to be made to get someone.
It's exhausting.
Secondly, free
school transportation
for all students.
I don't think it's right
that only some benefit from it.
Then, I'd like a new building
because this one is very old,
too small,
and the structure isn't suitable.
We use dividers to create classrooms,
but there is noise pollution.
We also need interior windows
to be able to see the classrooms from the outside.
The Administration should also develop a free course
in sign language for families.
The Barcelona Education Consortium
has always provided interpretation services
and other requests for resources
that I make as school headmaster.
But one of the things we need
is a sign language teacher,
because we need a good linguistic model
for teaching Catalan Sign Language.
Too many things
for a teacher to take on
for things to run well.
I would also ask,
as school headmaster,
to be able to attend to families
and act as an educational counsellor.
This is the responsibility of the Education Support Teams,
but I would like to participate in the process,
know what is being said.
Anything else to add?
We were the last ones
to get the computers
they delivered to all schools
to digitise secondary education.
Aren't we humans with the same right
to quality education?
Isn't technology a tool
for accessibility?
But they've always given us the run-around,
and after waiting for 4 years
fighting for it
and receiving false promises...
No, no...
We've been buying them
and recovering from wherever we could.
Making efforts
because we live in a digital world.
What projects is Josep Pla currently working on?
We're currently organising
a social cohesion project
to help our students
open up to the world.
To keep them from being isolated and protected
by the school.
One of our most interesting projects
is with a nearby high school,
the IES Josep Pla.
The subject of physical education
is shared
between the two schools.
This means that our students
are with listeners.
Experiential education.
Some are users of sign language
and others of oral language.
And they integrate with each other.
They are able to communicate
and establish communicative patterns.
I've gone to observe,
and I see that the listeners are interested in the signs
and do not see our students as deaf.
For them, it is cultural enrichment.
And they focus more on the sign language
and forget about competing.
This is the second year,
and it works perfectly.
We will continue to collaborate
with this high school.
Just like at our school,
we don't have a technology classroom
for the students going to high school,
and there are only 5.
So they will do technology
with the hearing students
from IES Josep Pla
and one of our teachers,
who will help make it accessible
with sign language.
Is yours a multicultural education?
We promote multicultural
and bicultural education in sign languages.
In the same way listeners
learn foreign languages,
deaf individuals can learn
other sign languages.
It is an important resource for them.
And this is already the third year
that we've been in contact
with a school in Flanders,
Belgium, which has deaf students
and a deaf teacher.
They teach us
Flemish Sign Language,
and we teach Catalan Sign Language.
They enjoy learning vocabulary
from another sign language.
For now, it's a more economical option
than a real exchange.
Technology allows you
to talk to people far away
without moving.
We do it weekly.
They make new friends,
then look each other up on social media
and stay in touch.
These video conferences
are supervised
and follow some guidelines,
and then we give them free time
to talk about whatever they want,
but we make sure they use a language
and don't resort to the international one,
a sign system that is popular
on social media.
We also connect
with the Sol School in Madrid.
They teach us SSL
and we teach them LSC.
We make video calls,
and it works well.
And soon, with the special education school
for the grouping of the deaf in Granada,
we will also make video calls.
And we will continue with the project.
We hope that next year,
we can expand to more countries.
We also don't want the project
to die of success.
We hope the project grows. Thank you for having us.