1970s
Here is a list of Singapore newspaper articles from 1970 to 1979 that have been coded and analysed.
Newspaper Articles
Problem of getting jobs for the deaf. (1975, September 11). The Straits Times, p. 15. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19750911-1.2.106
Themes
Codes:
ableism and audism
discrimination
medical model
social model
employment inequality
educational inequality
lack of institutional support
transition from education to work
vocational versus academic pathways
Thematic Analysis
ableism and audism
the education and employment systems are designed for hearing (“normal”) people
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forces deaf students to adapt instead of providing accessible support.
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phrase “sink or swim” reflects this expectation.
Audism refers to privileging hearing people and spoken language norms. Deaf children must attend “normal” schools after primary education because there is no secondary school for deaf students.
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No accessibility for deaf children in “normal” schools.
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Left to fend for themselves in a secondary school for "normal" children
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Institutions prioritise hearing students’ needs
Discrimination
Systemic/institutional discrimination. Deaf students have fewer educational opportunities (“opportunities for the deaf in Singapore to develop their academic potential were limited”).
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Leads to poorer employment prospects.
Medical model
The article often frames deafness as an individual limitation needing vocational training or remediation. Terms like “handicapped” (common at the time) reflect a medical or deficit perspective. However, the article does not focus solely on the individual’s impairment.
Social model
Highlights barriers created by society such as the lack of secondary schools for the deaf, insufficient funding, inaccessible education and limited employment opportunities.
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societal failures and systemic barriers instead of problems caused by deafness itself.
Employment inequality
A central concern of the article.
Examples:
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“How to ensure every deaf child is suitably employed…”
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“Bleak employment prospects”
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Discussion of vocational training
Education does not translate into meaningful employment.
Educational inequality
Highlights unequal access to education and lack of funding and resources.
Examples:
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“Lack of money also prevented the association from launching its projects, among them the building of a secondary school for deaf children”.
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Access to a deaf school was only limited at primary school level. There is no deaf secondary school. Deaf children have to be mainstreamed.
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Limited academic opportunities for deaf children.
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Lower GCE pass rates.
Lack of institutional support - insufficient government or societal investment.
Examples:
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Lack of funding
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no secondary school dedicated for deaf students
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Limited educational infrastructure
Reflects broader institutional neglect
Inclusion without adequate support
The article questions whether simply placing deaf children in mainstream schools is enough
Examples:
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Deaf children attend “normal schools”
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Described as “sink or swim”
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Required to compete with hearing students.
Shows that integration does not ensure equal access if accommodations are absent.
Transition from education to work
Focuses on the pathway from school to employment. Questions are raised such as:
What happens after primary school?
How can deaf students obtain qualifications?
How will they find jobs?
This highlights concerns about long-term social and economic inclusion.
Vocational versus academic pathways - The article contrasts vocational training (“semi-skilled and skilled workers”) and limited opportunities for academic advancement. This suggests that deaf people were often channelled into vocational work because academic opportunities were restricted.
Although the language reflects the 1970s (for example, using terms such as “normal” children and “handicapped”), the article’s main argument aligns more with the social model of disability than the medical model.
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Identifies systemic barriers e.g. limited educational pathways, inadequate funding, and poor employment opportunities, as the reasons deaf people struggle to succeed, rather than portraying deafness itself as the primary problem.
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Reveals ableist and audist assumptions embedded in the education system. Deaf students are expected to adapt to hearing institutions instead of those institutions adapting to meet their needs. The use of the word “normal” reveals audist and ableist ideologies.
Precious years wasted in education of the deaf. (1977, May 18). The Straits Times, p. 11. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19770518-1.2.72.1.6
Themes
Codes
Social model of disability
Charity model
Individualised support
government responsibility/policy
diversity within the deaf and hard-of-hearing population
Thematic Analysis
Social model of disability
Highlights society’s failure to provide enough early education instead of deafness itself. The lack of school places and reliance on volunteers is the problem. The issue is the way the system is constructed.
Young deaf children are denied access to early education due to limited places and limited resources at St Andrew’s Cathedral. Therefore, deaf children are missing out on education.
Charity model
The article criticises Singapore’s dependence on “voluntary help and volunteers at St Andrew’s Cathedral to educate deaf children. This suggests that education should be a state responsibility rather than a charity.
“It is therefore surprising to note that Singapore, which, in many respects is far in advance of most countries in Asia, should rely entirely on voluntary help to meet the schooling needs of its young deaf citizens.”
At present the early schooling for the deaf is left to the volunteers who run classes at St Andrew’s Cathedral. However, even with the best will in the world, their limited facilities cannot cope with all the deaf who need them”.
“It is easier to help children with hearing problems before they are one year old.” Note the word “help”.
Individualised support
Deaf children have diverse communication abilities and should receive individualised support instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.
Promoting methods that fit the individual deaf child instead of an either-or approach such as oral versus sign.
Government responsibility/policy
Questions why Singapore relies on volunteers instead of providing education on par with mainstream schools for hearing children.
Volunteer system is what is contributing to the poor outcomes. Singapore is far behind other Asian countries.
Diversity within the deaf and hard-of-hearing population
There are “many degrees of deafness” and “many methods of communication,” and argues for flexibility on communication methods and language modalities based on each child’s needs and abilities. This reflects the wide spectrum of deaf identities.
Streamlining education policies for the deaf. (1978, November 15). The Straits Times, p. 21. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19781115-1.2.104
Themes
Codes
Ableism/audism/deficit framing
Medical model
Social model
Accessibility
Education Policy
Charity/Helper Model
Educational reform
Integration/mainstreaming
Ableism/audism/deficit framing
Deaf students are described primarily in terms of deficits such as “problem children,” “their handicap”, “problem of partially deaf children”, “seldom make it”.
Assumption that educational success according to hearing standards is the norm instead of questioning whether schools are accessible.
The word “normal” secondary schools also reflects audist/ableist assumptions as it states that hearing norms are the standard.
Medical model
Deafness is framed as an individual condition that creates problems in education. The focus is on fixing deaf students, specifically managing deaf students, partially deaf students and overaged students instead of changing the education system itself. The use of the word “handicap” reflects the medical model in the era of the 1970s.
Social model
The committee recognises that systemic issues exist such as fragmented policies, inconsistent administration, curriculum, teacher allocation and family environment.
The proposals to assign teachers to support deaf students and give them additional support in the form of tuition acknowledge that barriers in the education system contribute to poor educational outcomes.
Accessibility
The suggestion to place teachers in schools with larger numbers of deaf students and improve coordination of educational policies relate to improving deaf children’s access to education although the article doesn’t explicitly use the language of accessibility.
Education Policy
Charity/helper model
The Singapore Association for the Deaf, which is a charity, is portrayed as organising solutions and helping deaf students. The emphasis is on providing services instead of empowering deaf people to lead decision-making. However, the article focuses more on policy than charity.
Educational reform
Dominant theme. The article is about standardising policies, coordinating schools, developing educational objectives, improving administration and reviewing curriculum.
The creation of a 30-person coordinating committee suggests a move toward centralised planning, professional standards and systematic governance in education.
Instead of each school operating independently, the goal is a coherent education system.
Integration/Mainstreaming
“Another point to be studied will be the problem of partially deaf children who go to normal secondary schools, but seldom make it because of their handicap.”
This reflects concern about mainstream education, although the proposed solution is additional teacher support instead of broader school accessibility.
The article is progressive in seeking coordinated educational reform and improved support, yet it remains firmly grounded in a medical and deficit-oriented understanding of deafness, with little recognition of deaf culture or disability rights perspectives.