The British Deaf Association (BDA) welcomes
today’s launch of a new official consultation
on the long-promised GCSE in
British Sign Language (BSL),
and applauds the long-awaited progress
toward recognition and equality in education.
“Let’s be clear, it’s a step in the right
direction, but there is much further to go,”
signs Deaf CEO Rebecca Mansell. “
After a lengthy period of silence from
the authorities, we appreciate this
development.”
The BDA statement comes in response to
this week’s announcement that Ofqual has
launched a further ‘technical’ consultation
on the British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE.
Whilst the GCSE’s content has already
passed through a 2023 consultation led by
the Department for Education (DfE),
this week’s initiative focuses on examination
and assessment procedures.
“Only last month in Parliament,
during Sign Language Week (17-23 March),
MPs from the new All-Party Parliamentary
Group on BSL quizzed the Minister for Disabled People,
Sir Stephen Timms MP, on the ongoing
delay with the GCSE,” points out Mansell.
“Sir Stephen spoke of the government’s ‘
continuing commitment’ and of being
‘generally reassured about the progress that’s
been made and the commitment to deliver’.”
The BDA remains concerned about the long
delays in the development of the new BSL GCSE.
The previous government target for
“first teaching” was September 2025,
and the BDA believes that this
target will be missed by two years.
The reasons for this delay are unclear.
Whilst the BDA has been expressing the
BSL community’s concerns about the
GCSE project for many years,
it took Ofqual until this month to directly
ask to meet the BDA – which is recognised
up to United Nations level as the
UK’s representative organisation for the
signing Deaf community –
for one-to-one talks.
“Almost everything has happened behind
closed doors,” Mansell notes pointedly.
“And here we are, with even Ofqual
acknowledging that an award promised
in 2018 will not actually result in anyone
receiving a certificate until 2029 at the earliest!”
“BSL is a rich and complex language,
different in many respects to the spoken
languages already studied at GCSE level.
We appreciate DfE’s and Ofqual’s diligent