Back in 2023 the previous government announced that pupils in schools in England would be able to study British Sign Language (BSL) as a GCSE.

BSL is a way of communicating using gestures, facial expressions and body language.

It was supposed to be brought in this year, but it’s been delayed. Many in the deaf community were really disappointed with the news.

There are about 25,000 people in the UK who use BSL as their main language, and yet many people aren’t familiar with what it means or how to use it. People have been campaigning for a long time to get BSL taught in schools, including Daniel (pictured below) who wants it to be offered as a GCSE option.

For those who use BSL, it could change their entire school experience and make them feel much more included in everyday activities. Daniel explains: “I was the only one who signed [used BSL] in school. If we’d had the GCSE back then, my life would be really different. I’d have had more friends. I’d have had a lot less problems communicating with other children.”

Some schools are already teaching BSL. One of those is Elm Tree Primary School in Suffolk.

The school decided to get rid of French and Spanish lessons in favour of teaching BSL instead. A pupil from the school said: “I think more schools should be teaching BSL even if you’re not deaf, because I have a family member who is deaf and I like how I can communicate with them.”