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British Sign Language to be taught in schools as GCSE subject
It will be taught in secondary school classrooms as a GCSE in September 2025
British Sign Language (BSL) is set to be taught in classrooms at GCSE level in 2025, the government says.
Ministers say the qualification will be open to all secondary school pupils across the country and will provide them with an important life skill, advancing inclusivity within education.
Parents, teachers and organisations from the deaf and hearing communities took part in a 12-week consultation and provided overwhelmingly positive support for the introduction of BSL GCSE, which will be taught in classrooms from September 2025.
BSL was officially recognised as a language in the UK last year, after the British Sign Language Act was passed.
Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan said: “It’s fantastic to see such an overwhelming amount of support across both the education sector and the deaf and hearing communities for this new GCSE.
“Studying British Sign Language can open so many doors for young people, giving pupils an understanding of how thousands of people communicate and ultimately even expanding job prospects.
“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.”
The move comes after the government said it would consider BSL to be taught in classrooms, following the campaign for a BSL qualification by Deaf schoolboy Daniel Jillings.
Chief Executive of the National Deaf Children’s Society, Susan Daniels OBE said:
“After more than a decade of campaigning for a GCSE in British Sign Language (BSL) we’re delighted we now have the finalised course content published.
“A GCSE in BSL is vital as it will break down barriers and celebrate the rich culture and history of British Sign Language. An incredible amount of work has been undertaken to get to this point, not least from young deaf campaigner Daniel Jillings who fought so hard for the right to study a GCSE in BSL.”
Earlier this year Daniel spoke at a parliamentary reception about the importance pf deaf awareness and specialist education support for deaf young people.
About the news of BSL becoming part of the GCSE curriculum, the teenager said: “This is a significant moment in the history of the British deaf community, as it is a powerful step to equality.”
“It will also allow hearing students to learn BSL so they can improve their awareness of the deaf community,” he added.
Influencer and activist for the deaf community, Tasha Ghouri said: “It’s so important to have inclusivity in schools.
“Accessibility is something I massively stand for and it’s amazing that BSL is now a GCSE course and students will soon have the opportunity to learn the foundations of BSL, the history and how it was formed.
“It’s such a beautiful language to learn. Thank you to everyone who has supported this step in the right direction!”
The British Deaf Association estimates about 151,000 people use BSL in the UK, with around 87,000 people being deaf.