Benilde Deaf School (BDS), the pioneering bilingual-bicultural program for Deaf high school students in the Philippines, conducted face-to-face completion rites as it congratulates its first batch of graduating Grade 10 scholars.
The students are now set to pursue their studies in Benilde Senior High School (SHS) under the General Academic Strand (GAS).
Deaf educator and BDS full-time faculty and English teacher Ruth Reyes congratulated the first-ever batch of graduates.
“It’s been an amazing journey watching you grow, discover yourselves, and become confident young people,” she said.
Inaugurated in 2018, BDS is one of the many innovative programs of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) to develop and strengthen the identity of the deaf students and prepare them for college life and future career.
Motivated to provide quality education and better learning access to Deaf students, the secondary education institution follows an enhanced curriculum with special subjects such as Deaf Studies and Filipino Sign Language (FSL), in addition to those mandated by the Department of Education (DepEd).
To develop and instill language and sense of self, the school advocates the use of Filipino Sign Language (FSL), the natural language of the Deaf Filipinos, as the primary language of instruction in the classroom, with written English and Filipino as secondary languages.
All students are guided under the mentorship of Deaf educators, who are licensed teachers, master’s degree-holders here and abroad, and industry experts in their respective esteemed fields.
BDS is accepting Deaf applicants for Grades 7 and 8 for Academic Year 2022 to 2023.
For more information, visit https://www.benilde.edu.ph/benilde-deaf-school/.
