Services for deaf children and young people in schools (FOI)

​Request

A

Please confirm what the policy is for teachers and support staff with regard to deaf children in schools, apart from the signing choirs at Les Landes and St Clement’s schools?

B

In particular, does the policy allow the use of British Sign Language (BSL) by teachers and support staff for general classroom use (not including the choir work) as a means of communication, supported by the Education Department, or is it now “oralism,” the exclusive use of speech and lipreading where teachers and support staff are being discouraged from using BSL?

C

Is there any policy document outlining the situation which teachers, support staff and parents can access or is a policy which lacks public documentation?

Response

A

The Hearing and Deaf Support Team’s (HDST) position is for language and communication skills to be developed irrespective of mode, this applies to both deaf children or hearing children of deaf adults (CODA).

B

British Sign Language (BSL) and English are considered and supported as equal languages. There are currently no children for whom BSL is their primary or preferred way of communication, however sign as part of a total communication approach is routinely used in the early years for all The Directorate Children and Young People (DCYP). A number of hearing and deaf adults are currently undergoing professional development specifically for BSL tuition. 

C

HDST has worked with the Language Policy team to ensure BSL is also acknowledged as a minority home language. This policy is available to the Public. There is also a working party currently developing a draft whole island Communication Strategy which looks at sign including BSL in terms of accessibility. Please see the link below: 

Language Policy for Jersey Education: April 2023.pdf. (gov.je)​​