Proposal: To Teach Sign Language in Schools

[RobClews]

Issue:
That all young people should be given better access to education and qualifications to learn British sign language both within school and out of schools.

Background:
Over 50,000 people in the UK use Sign Language as their first choice, with 8,945,000 deaf and hard of hearing people within the United Kingdom at this present time. Just like any other language, if you don't speak it, you cannot understand it, nor can you comminicate easily. It should be our duty to ensure that as many people as possible are given the opportunity to learn sign language, to ensure that we can communicate and deaf/hard hearing people are not neglected by society.

If there is over 8,945,000 deaf and hard of hearing people within the UK and only 50,000 who can use sign language, it does not take a genius to do the maths and realise that there is a need to improve the system of education.

What are your views on this issue and would you be interested in supporting a campaign to promote awareness of sign language and have some form of education teached within school, possibly instead of PSHE or other useless subjects?

**It is not proposed as compulsory but optional**

[Matt. P]

The schools could make this available to pupils who want to learn, but I don't think it should be compulsory, as other pupil may want to spend this time doing other things they may find more relevent to them.

[Connor Sephton]

I agree with the last poster, teaching it to all students is not the way forward, however, if there is somebody who is directly affected, or is really keen to learn, BSL, then they should be given the option to do so instead of the mandatory language that children have to learn in their respective schools. It varies, could be Spanish, French - I don't know, it is Spanish here.

[atearth]

I agree with the above posts.

I voted Yes. People that vote no please explain why.

[Connor Sephton]

I voted 'no', atearth - because even though I have an intense respect for those who use sign language on a day to day basis and those who can interpret together, I feel I have more important things to learn in my education.

[Cowgirl36]

I would of loved to learn it instead of French. Instead I am teaching myself BSL. It shouldn't be compulsary but it should be availible to learn.

[EmmaGallen]

It should be available to elarn. My school teach it if you are in lower 6th adn are doing 3 or less as levels.

[Gotlieb Alexander]

I agree that it should be tried to be made more available but I wouldn't support it being compulsary as too few people will ever use it later in life

[fitzsia03]

ok rite i think sign lanuage should be taught in schools

BUT i av a quick question

Is there different types of sign language like there is different languages, or is there just one worldwide sign language?

sorry if dat snds really dumb blondish but im interested 2 know

can anyone help me ? :confused:

[Zinzi]

i think that it would be a good skill to have even just a basic grounding in

how do you know you wont need to use it in later life? we could look at it like any other 'foreign' language, even just a few words here and there can make all the difference in some situations! im not talking hardcore teaching, but it could be used to compliment other subjects even just at a primary level.

[Connor Sephton]

ok rite i think sign lanuage should be taught in schools

BUT i av a quick question

Is there different types of sign language like there is different languages, or is there just one worldwide sign language?

sorry if dat snds really dumb blondish but im interested 2 know

can anyone help me ? :confused:

There is a variant called British Sign Language. That help?

[fitzsia03]

There is a variant called British Sign Language. That help?

thank you very much connor sephton that helped alot
you are a very clever chap :)

[Samantha Stainforth]

I, personally think its a good idea

I dont think its should be compulsory, just tried out and if successful, optional

Sam
xxxx

[mo .R.]

i think we should learn sign language in schools its fun and useful and stops communication barriers! id love to learn sign language and it would be very useful for those who want to go ito health care or any job that is social! :)

[kaity221]

We used to have free time in junior school, where you could choose an activity, lots of people were always interested in learning sign language, but they didnt have to, people also liked learning brail. It should be taught as an option instead of french or latin, but not compulsary because lots of people will think it is pointless, and that they wont use it in their further life.

[Paul]

ok rite i think sign lanuage should be taught in schools

BUT i av a quick question

Is there different types of sign language like there is different languages, or is there just one worldwide sign language?

sorry if dat snds really dumb blondish but im interested 2 know

can anyone help me ? :confused:

There are lots of different types of sign languages: eg British, Irish, American, northern Irish - almost every country has their own variant because it was developed separately - usually in schools for the deaf.

[brownieiscool]

My younger brother is 10 and there is a deaf girl in his class. So for 30 minutes a week they do sign language just to help the girl make friends and to make things easier for her. He has been doing this for 3 months now and it is AMAZING how much he has picked up and how easily the children in his class have learned. I think its brilliant because it not only helps out this girl and other students they may encounter who are deaf but it gives them a skill for later life.
My brother might end up with a deaf wife or work in an office with a deaf person and it is brilliant that he can communicate with them.

[EmmaGallen]

There are lots of different types of sign languages: eg British, Irish, American, northern Irish - almost every country has their own variant because it was developed separately - usually in schools for the deaf.

Not stricly true. there atre slight differences but in general one sign language is the same as another. It's like English and American are the same langugae but with different words. Sort of. The differences are more like dialects and colloquilisms.

[laura-hanna]

In the school I attend we all have to do languages upto GCSE level. Which some of us don't want to do I personally think that sign language should be optional to do upto GCSE level but not compulsary as many people would find it boring I also think that the language that blind people use should also be taught as there is a blind girl in my year and I would like to know how she comunicates with other people

[rustaman171]

One of the many primary schools I went to was a hearing impaired primary school. I think it is excellent to be able to communicate with the hearing impaired because it shows how we care about those with disabilities. My 6 year old brother now attends that school and is fluent with sign language.

[JesseLake]

Teaching BSL from a young age should be an optional bonus onto our education. Many people become deaf when they reach old age, and so many of our generation have hearing aids. I have a grandparent with hearing aids, and i know at least 2/3 people elsewhere with them. But without the technology attatched, they cant hear well and need to rely on BSL to communicate.

Making it compulsory will be a bad move, so it needs to be optional. Its a helpful life long skill, and can break down communication barriers in society.