Made-for-Wales British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE
11 October 2024
Last week, we had some disappointing news about the made-for-Wales BSL GCSE, which was planned for launch in 2027.
The Welsh Government and Qualifications Wales have suspended their work on the GCSE because of “practical challenges”. This means, despite many promises, there will be no BSL GCSE in Wales.
A BSL CGSE would help strengthen the status of the language, putting it on the same level as English and Welsh. It would also help encourage deaf awareness in our schools and give learners a greater understanding of deaf culture and deaf history. We know the real benefit it could bring, so this is a huge blow.
Susan Daniels OBE, Chief Executive of the National Deaf Children’s Society, said:
“Deaf young people have been campaigning for a BSL GCSE for over a decade. To now be told that the Welsh Government has gone back on its word and there will no longer be a BSL GCSE in Wales is devastating.
“It was only the day before this shocking announcement that Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Jane Hutt spoke of the ‘provisions’ being made by the Government to ‘promote and facilitate the use of BSL’ in Wales. It seems they’re going back on their word less than 24 hours later.
“We’ll continue to stand with deaf young people on this. We’re as determined as ever to make sure that a BSL GCSE becomes a reality in Wales and are keen to work with Qualifications Wales to overcome the ‘practical challenges’ it describes.”
Next steps
We’ll do everything we can to encourage the Welsh Government to change its mind.
Together with Signature, the leading UK awarding organisation for BSL qualifications, we’ve written to ministers to outline our concerns and to ask them to meet with us so we can understand more about their decision. We believe we can help them to overcome the challenges they describe.
- Download our letter to ministers (128kb | PDF) - Watch a BSL translation of the letter
- Lawrlwythwch ein llythyr at weinidogion (82kb | PDF)
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