An old student of the De la Bat School in Worcester is one of six deaf IT students who recently graduated from Belgium Campus iTversity NPC, each with a three-year Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) degree.
The tertiary institution undertook to be an important catalyst in the growth and development of students with disabilities as well as those from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.
“We collaborate with the industry to provide these students with the financial support necessary to forge successful futures through higher education,” says Dr Elaine van Wyk, Chief Marketing Officer at Belgium Campus, a well-established and renowned South African private higher education institution. It has campuses in Pretoria, Kempton Park, and a newly opened campus in Stellenbosch.
The institution is known to turn out the calibre of student that boasts a 100% graduate employment rate, and it provides no fewer than 8% of the ICT graduates in South Africa. One of the six deaf graduates is Admar Claassen (29) from Paarl, who spent his school years in Worcester.
He said: “Education is essential for everyone, regardless of their abilities, but for deaf individuals it is even more important because I have to break past the stereotypical view of a deaf person. This degree gets me closer to that.” Claassen completed high school at the De la Bat School in Worcester.
Belgium Campus was the first higher-education institution in the country to offer a dedicated bachelor’s degree and IT diploma for deaf students. They have also made provision to allow students with other disabilities, long-term medical conditions or special needs to complete their IT studies.
“This allows us to breathe life into the tremendous talents and business concepts of often-marginalised groups within society,” said Van Wyk.
Belgium Campus is also currently developing a technical deaf dictionary, set to open the doors to deaf students entering the IT economy further.
Belgium Campus believes everyone should receive an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams. The institution makes these courses accessible to deaf students by providing SASL (South Africa Sign Language) interpreters for each course and limiting the class sizes to ensure each student has dedicated time and attention.
