School is Where a Community is Born

It is estimated that there were around 1,000–1,500 deaf people in Finland in the 19th century. They lived in different locations across Finland, often far away from each other. Porvoo school for the deaf was founded in 1846 by Carl Oscar Malm, who was deaf himself. It was the first place where deaf people could meet each other and learn a shared language. As more schools were founded in the 1860s, more and more deaf people were able to communicate with each other.

Until the mid-19th century, all lessons were held in sign language. Towards the end of the century, however, the teaching turned towards an oralist approach. For almost a hundred years, the use of sign language was forbidden in schools, and students only received instruction in oral language. However, even though oralism was dominant, sign language managed to survive, as children signed secretly to one another, thus learning the language.

Schools for the deaf were organised as boarding schools, meaning the students could only go home during holidays. The students often formed a tight-knit community, but living far away from home was not without its downsides. It was not until the 1970s before the municipalities started founding their own schools for the hearing impaired. These schools allowed the children to go home every day, so that they no longer had to be separated from their families for long periods.