ERROR RG P4 18.2.1999 A picture in last Saturday's Young Observer claimed to show Victor Scott primary students Mercedez Smith, Dequan Thomas and Rodtre Brown. The three youngsters actually pictured were Mercedez Smith, Dequan Thomas and Shown Steede.

SIX years ago Government decided to "mainstream'' the then-called "special needs'' children.

Proponents argued it would lead to a greater tolerance among young people and eventually society in general.

So far, the plan appears to be working.

The Royal Gazette went to the Victor Scott School in Devonshire to find a story about two deaf seven-year-olds, Mercedez Smith and Dequan Thomas.

Mercedez and Dequan are deaf -- but in all other respects they are just like every other seven-year-old.

Both children are part of the Primary Two class at the Victor Scott School.

They learn the same lessons, with the same teacher alongside their fellow students. They giggled when a photographer took their pictures, and -- like most children -- reluctantly obeyed the teacher's instructions.

During a group learning activity, the students took turns providing sentences for a story.

"Dequan, do you have a sentence?'' the teacher asked. As she spoke, interpreter June Millet signed the question for him.

"My rabbit jumps,'' he signed back. Again, Ms Millett provided the oral interpretation and helped him to understand the translation from sign structure to written grammar.

None of the other students turned their head to watch. No-one made funny remarks. It was just another day at school.

When not taking part in lessons, Dequan and Mercedez interacted easily and energetically with their peers.

But both became predictably subdued when a reporter from The Royal Gazette took them away from watching "Matilda'' on the television.

HEIR teacher Tori Baxter said she has taught both students since they started at Victor Scott.

Although, she has had no formal training in sign language or working with the hearing impaired, she said she welcomed the challenge.

Since meeting the pair, she said much of her training has been on the job experience. Alphabet and number cards with pictures, letters, and hand symbols decorated one side of her classroom. "They have to see it,'' she explained.

"I knew from last year that they would need pictures.'' And although she has learned to use simple, sign language instructions, she admitted even simple could become complicated in translation. But fellow students were often less wary of trying out their new communication skills.

"Some of them think they are born interpreters,'' said Ms Baxter.

Each day Dequan and Mercedez have lessons in speech therapy.

And teacher Jennifer Fahnbulleh -- who is also hearing impaired -- explained there were different degrees of deafness ranging from profound to moderate impairment.

ERCEDEZ was born deaf and gradually lost her hearing, Deqaun was born without hearing. Both began to learn sign language around the same time.

She admitted she had mixed feelings about the decision to integrate school children. "It doesn't work for everybody because children have different needs,'' she said. "Some children function better one on one with individual interaction.'' "I feel that when children are together they learn better, especially if they are with their peers,'' she added.