Deaf Dumfries and Galloway Councillor fighting for full access to fluent sign language in schools

A deaf councillor is fighting for all deaf and hard of hearing pupils to be given full access to fluent sign language in Dumfries and Galloway schools.

John Denerley has become a strong voice for the deaf community since being elected two years ago and has played a key role in positive changes to Dumfries and Galloway Council’s British Sign Language (BSL) plan, as well as the introduction of interpreters during live council meetings.

The Dee and Glenkens Councillor is now pushing for bilingual education – a mix of British sign language and English – to be made available in the region’s schools.

He tabled a motion at the full council meeting on Thursday, listing the benefits of dual language proficiency and making learning more inclusive to the deaf community.

The motion, seconded by North West Dumfries Councillor Emma Jordan, stated: “All deaf children should develop their full potential in all language modalities. This includes signing, speaking, reading and writing. But this is not happening.

“To progress well at school, all deaf children should have access to bilingual and bimodal education, appropriately delivered in fluent BSL and fluent English.

“For many, this will be the first time in their lives they fully understand the teacher and the dialogue.

“Most teachers of the deaf cannot sign fluently.

“We say deaf children should be allowed to learn directly from their teachers, not via less-qualified support workers.”

Mr Denerley explains that bilingual education reduces barriers to learning and participation that may exist in settings where only spoken languages are used.

Studies also suggest that children who are proficient in two languages, including a sign language, can experience cognitive advantages and potentially better academic outcomes.

His motion continued: “Bilingual education models like this can vary significantly in their implementation depending on resources, teacher expertise, and the educational philosophy of the schools adopting them.

“The success of such programmes often depends on strong support for both languages, trained staff who are proficient in BSL, and an inclusive curriculum that respects and integrates deaf culture.”

Councillor Denerley’s motion added: “Contrary to popular belief, cochlear implants on their own do not provide complete access to language, and we believe that early exposure to sign language is essential for holistic linguistic development.”

Councillors will be asked to facilitate the learning of sign language in classrooms, and support the development and funding of pathways for all teachers of the deaf to become fluent signers.

There are also calls to support direct teaching in BSL, not indirect teaching via interpreters, for deaf students of all ages.