At long last, the BSL GCSE moves closer

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.

Deaf CEO Rebecca Mansell -

“Let’s be clear, it’s a step in the right 
direction, but there is much further to go,”

"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

work to get the GCSE right. It’s a challenge 
to schools and examination boards.

But it’s really not rocket science.”

The BDA has repeatedly highlighted the 
significant potential for Deaf teachers to be

afforded a leading role in the delivery of
BSL GCSEs, in keeping with the spirit of

the 2022 BSL Act which received all-party 
support in Parliament. It notes that Deaf people

been firmly at the forefront of BSL 
teaching in adult education since

BDA itself trained a generation of
BSL teachers at Durham University

in the 1980s – a programme taught by 
Deaf people to Deaf people entirely in BSL.

In this light, four decades have passed
in which Deaf linguistic and cultural

expertise in the teaching profession 
has been acknowledged and promoted.

“Now,” says Mansell, “we face an unclear 
roll-out of the GCSE – if indeed we ever

there – with every school at liberty to 
offer BSL courses but no programme in place

to build a sustainable Deaf-led workforce. 
Who will teach our language to the highest

quality if not Deaf people 
who are fluent in it?”

The BDA stresses its willingness to 
support the relevant authorities

clear throughout, and that it will continue 
to press for a timely, high-quality GCSE

that protects and promotes BSL as a 
vibrant language, respects the long-term

of the Deaf community, and secures 
the contributions of Deaf professionals.