News
BSL In Schools - Signs Of The Times?
Friday 25th October 2024
Penny Gunn
Like many, I was upset that the planned BSL GCSE in Wales has been postponed. Sarah Lawrence - a BSL campaigner - said:
"I do not know why this decision has been made or who was involved, but those involved should hang their heads in shame.
"I am not sure I can put into words how disappointed and angry I am.”
It is a massive setback but as Sarah demonstrates, the Deaf community is not about to give up. We will continue fighting.
The more people who know and use BSL, the more that Deaf people will feel fully included in Society. The good news, for now, is that the BSL GCSE in England in 2025 is still set to go ahead.
I am sometimes asked about my own school days. Was I taught in BSL? My answer may surprise you.
No.
In fact, if we were to use sign language at school we were told off! Educators felt that it was better if we learnt through lip reading.
If you have ever stared at someone's lips for a long time, you will know that it can be really hard to maintain concentration.
For hearing people, they can look down and still listen to the teacher - Deaf people can’t.
Also lip reading is not always easy or accurate. For instance, ‘B’ and ‘P’ have similar positions - is it"bat" being mouthed or is it "pat"?
My friends and I did communicate in BSL in our own time and when the teachers weren’t looking! It was some years later that I formally undertook BSL qualifications.
Thankfully, these days BSL is taught in Deaf schools - again. Surprised by the word ‘again’?
If we look back, it was 1760 when Thomas Braidwood opened the first school for Deaf children. Located in Edinburgh, the Braidwood Academy, the school taught both speech and BSL.
But in the 1960’s, BSL was not recognised as a proper language! Oral was the approach for teaching deaf children. It was only in the 1990s that sign language became the official in deaf education.
In 2003, the British government officially recognised BSL as a minority language - it’s actually the fourth most used language in the UK according to the recent census.
And now to the present day. When I look around, I find many organisations are still not Deaf inclusive. There are many where the only way to contact them is by using the phone! Sometimes, their information is difficult to understand - my English is very good but for some Deaf people it is not the case.
That’s why it’s important that BSL and English are taught side-by-side. Not just for Deaf pupils but for everyone. This would make a big difference. Can this be done? That would be the aim but there are simply not enough Deaf teachers and nor recognition of how important BSL is (although I hope this will change).
We also need to encourage parents with Deaf children to learn to sign and there needs to be funding for this. The British Deaf Association is campaigning for this through its BSL In Our Hands Campaign.
What can you do? You can, of course, support Deaf campaigns but also by learning to sign and being Deaf aware (and encouraging others to do the same). The more people who know how to communicate with Deaf people, the better it will be for everyone.
Do take a look at our courses if you are interested in or want to improve your signing skills.