British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 - recommendations: SG response

7. Mainstreaming

7.1 Recommendation 14/paragraph 82

The Committee is concerned about the challenges faced by Deaf pupils (and teachers) in mainstream schools and the impact it can have on them, particularly in respect of a shortage of teachers with adequate BSL skills, and a lack of identity and sense of isolation from the wider Deaf community.

We are clear that the status quo is not sustainable and are therefore sympathetic to suggestions from Deaf stakeholders that Deaf pupils should be grouped together in Deaf units, hubs or resource base schools rather than being the only, or one of only a handful of Deaf pupils in a mainstream school. BSL must be understood as a language and culture in its own right, not framed as a disability add-on. We therefore invite the Scottish Government to respond to these suggestions and to suggestions that it may be more beneficial for Deaf probationary teachers to complete their placements in such schools.

7.1.1 Decision

Partially accept

7.1.2 Scottish Government Response

Mainstreaming is a central pillar of our inclusive approach to education. Scotland’s inclusive approach celebrates diversity and allows all children and young people to develop an understanding and recognition of differences, contributing to the development of an increasingly inclusive, empathetic and more just society.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills held a cross-party roundtable on 4 September with opposition education spokespersons to discuss what more can be done to support Additional Support Needs in our schools and to undertaking a review of Additional Support for Learning. The scope and detail of the review will be informed by the outcome of the roundtable discussion and will also draw on the evidence set out in the recent reports from the Education, Children and Young People Committee Inquiry Report, Audit Scotland briefing and the Children and Young People Commissioner’s Report.

We acknowledge the committee’s findings regarding the negative impact of mainstream education for some BSL users. The presumption to provide education in a mainstream setting applies unless certain exemptions are met. The exemptions are designed to ensure that children with additional support needs can access a quality education that meets their needs and helps them achieve their full potential. These are:

• the education provided in a mainstream school would not be suitable for the aptitude and abilities of the child in question.
• would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for the children with whom the child would be educated.
• placing the child in question in a mainstream school would incur unreasonable levels of public expenditure that would not otherwise be incurred.

The exemptions allow for decisions to be made in the best interest of the child or young person and could be applied to Deaf BSL users to allow them to attend a specialist provision with their peers.

7.2 Recommendation 15/paragraph 83

We agree with stakeholders that improved opportunities to learn BSL should be provided to hearing pupils too, given the increased interest in the language and the longer-term benefits that having larger numbers of hearing BSL users in Scotland would bring. We therefore invite the Scottish Government to consider what further steps could be taken to expand opportunities to learn BSL for all pupils in Scotland and whether it may be helpful to “pilot” such an approach in a specific area in order to assess its effectiveness in advance of any future roll out. We will continue to support and enhance opportunities for hearing pupils to learn BSL.

7.2.1 Decision

Partially accept

7.2.2 Scottish Government Response

The Scottish Government agrees that increasing BSL capability in the general population would be beneficial, and we note that there are already opportunities which enable and support hearing pupils to learn BSL.

The most recent 1+2 language survey (published 2024, providing data relating to 2023) showed an increase in the number of primary schools offering BSL as a second additional language to 179.

We welcome the extraordinary success of Highland Council’s BSL Resource Pack, which was specifically designed to support the delivery of BSL in the context of 1+2, and note that it has been purchased by all 32 local authorities across Scotland to enable the effective teaching of BSL to all school learners. We also note the availability of SQA Awards in British Sign Language, available to hearing and D/deaf learners, and welcome continued uptake of these Awards.

We have funded Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, which delivers a dedicated BSL tutoring offer to primary schools.

The Committee will also be aware that we are committed with education partners to a programme of curriculum, qualifications and assessment reform, and this includes a review of the Languages curriculum led by Education Scotland.