This month it is perfect timing to mark the milestone of the Deaf Education in New Zealand. It had been one hundred forty years since the school of the Deaf established in Charteris Bay, Sumner, Christchurch, New Zealand.

The deaf author/researcher of the Watkinson-Yates families, there was one deaf family member went to Sumner School for Deaf Children (Van Asch Education) in 1921, and the name of this woman was Florence Yates. The deaf author met Florence during the 1970s in Hamilton, New Zealand. Ms Yates does not use sign language, only lip-read due to the school in Sumner.

Long before the school of the Deaf established in Sumner, and several parents of the D/deaf children sent to schools of the Deaf in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America before 1879. At the time of installing the Government in Auckland, and later moved to Wellington, New Zealand, many parents of the deaf children asked the Member of the Parliament (MP) to set up a school for the Deaf children between 1856 to 1879. One of the MP’s including Hon. Colonel Brett decided to explore many options to employ the teacher of the D/deaf children, and he travelled to the United Kingdom where he learnt there were several schools around London and Scotland. Gerrit van Asch was the appointed person to became a teacher of the deaf children/a principal in Sumner School for the Deaf, Christchurch by the Ministry of Education and several other MPs.

However, there were several letters to the MPs and the Parliament by a particular woman who came out from England via Australia., Rev. R. R. Bradley, Rev. W. J. Habens, J. Hislop. The Government gave her an offer to work in other areas.  Furthermore, Miss Mitchell refused their offer on a different option, and unable to obtain a district for a new school in Otago and she went back to Australia, where her brother and family living in Queensland. Ms Mitchell looked after her very frail father. Ms Mitchell returned to Christchurch via to the Chatham Islands where there was a job offered for her.

Rev. R. R. Bradley gave a piece of his an acre land in his beach paddock- the Charteris Bay to the Government and received a small grant in return.

Note Gerrit van Asch used his ‘German’ Method as ‘Oral’ Method and Gerrit was trained by David Hirsch in the Netherlands. Mr van Asch taught deaf children in oral method at the Sumner School for the Deaf.

From the deaf historian’s research through censuses in New Zealand between 1861 to 1886, the number of deaf adult and children were average in the early days, and the total of Deaf people including elderly and children were three hundred seventy-three. In the Parliamentary Papers from the website – Papers Past under the National Library, Government, there was a two census on Return of Deaf (and Dumb), and Blind – March 1878.  There were ninety-four children around New Zealand.

Where about the first school of the D/deaf children was? It located in the beach paddock of the Charteris Bay, outside Christchurch.

How many deaf children were there in 1880? There were fourteen deaf children.

Was there any sign language or oralism available? Unfortunately, the deaf children taught in oralism and the sign language banned in 1880.
The banning of the sign language throughout the world except for small schools in the U.S.A.

Who made the decision to ban our sign language? It was the Second International Congress on Education of the Deaf in Milan, and it was known as ‘the Milan Conference’. There were one hundred sixty-four delegates of various countries – one hundred sixty-three delegates were hearing and leaving one person who was deaf. Is that fair? Is that oppressive?

The author/research is ongoing researching on Ms Dorcas G. Mitchell and her background life including her family. This will give insight into the reason why she chooses to teach in sign language, how does Ms Mitchell understand about deaf and where does ‘deaf experience’ fit into her background life?

The capital letter ‘D’ stated any Deaf persons fit in their own culture, first language – sign language, attended to the Deaf school and Deaf identity.

The small letter ‘d’ stated any deaf persons fit in either with the hearing community or less involved with the Deaf community for a small amount of time, their first language English, wear hearing aids and in the mainstream schools.