Schools ready to introduce British Sign Language in GCSE

Starting in September 2025, British Sign Language (BSL) will be introduced as an optional subject for GCSE education. This choice is to add diversity and inclusion to the education system and expand the different types of communication that can happen inside and outside of the workplace.

Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan said: “This new qualification will not only break down barriers and give young people valuable new skills but also celebrate the history and rich culture of British Sign Language.”

BSL was created by the Deaf community and allows Deaf people to communicate effectively. According to British Sign, ‘sign language is a visual means of communicating using gestures, facial expressions and body language.’

BSL was first recorded in the late 1500s and created by the deaf community. Like many languages, it had developed and adapted into what we know the modern language to be today.

National Deaf Children Society reported the West Midlands to have 5,722 (13%)  deaf children in 2022.

Photo credit to CBBC Newsround 

Many attend mainstream schools and can feel underrepresented in their educational learning. Daniel Jillings first started to campaign for BSL to be taught in schools when he was 12, now 17. He is part of the Deaf community and has succeeded in his goals of language inclusivity.

Speaking to Bid Services, Business Developmental Executive, Mark Woodall said: “I applaud the decision by the government to deliver BSL GCSE in schools, which represents an amazing opportunity for the Deaf community.” For many years, Deaf people have fought for their rights and for their language to be taken seriously; however, there is growing concern from the Deaf community and organisations that work with Deaf people, that there are very few qualified teachers to teach the subject and very little engagement coming from the Government regarding many unanswered questions.

“In an ideal world, it would be the Deaf community who teaches this subject, as it is their language and they are the specialists; however, for Deaf people to teach the subject, they will potentially need qualifications, which may include a Degree or equivalent to their language, maths and English and a PGCE to teach children. This journey could take many years and cannot be achieved in less than 18 months. There is real concern that if Deaf people play no role in teaching their language, there is real danger that BSL as a language, could be damaged and diluted forever.

He continued: “BID has a long history of supporting the deaf community. We’ve been around since about 1984, supporting the deaf people of Birmingham. We now support people with sensory impairment, such as visual impairment, and those with hearing loss and also work across Northern England and Milton Keynes. Our services include information services, youth clubs, interpreting and employment services.

“As an organisation, we are applying for funding for a project to tackle issues around the launch of BSL GCSE on a local level. Our project would support Deaf people to become teachers and gain experience teaching children. Our project is desperately needed as time is running out before BSL GCSE launches in 2025.’