Deaf teacher bridges communities through sign language

When Mr David Lee was in Primary 3, he had a mathematics teacher with a hearing disability similar to his who fluently and clearly explained mathematical concepts in sign language.

- Syarafana Shafeeq

The teacher's "passion for learning and his dedication to sharing knowledge with students left a deep impression on me", Mr Lee, 56, told The Straits Times. "It was then that I began to dream of becoming an educator like him."

On July 9, Mr Lee was among 721 students who graduated from the National Institute of Education (NIE) and Nanyang Technological University, receiving the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Primary).

He currently teaches mathematics and science at Mayflower Primary School, which is one of many mainstream schools in Singapore that take in children with hearing loss. There, he works alongside subject teachers to ensure deaf and hearing students can learn together in the same classroom.