Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing free British Sign Language classes to the families of all deaf children.

Funding is available through the adult education budget (AEB) for qualifications in or focussing on British Sign Language (BSL), up to and including level 2. About 60% of the AEB has been devolved to mayoral combined authorities and the Greater London Authority, who determine which provision to fund for learners who live in their areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) provides the remaining funding for learners who live in non-devolved areas.

ESFA-funded AEB qualifications include, for example, the Level 1 Award in BSL which allows learners to communicate in BSL on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use. It will depend on an individual’s circumstances as to whether they are entitled to free provision or expected to meet part of the cost, through co-funding. Where community learning providers offer BSL courses, those providers are responsible for determining the course fees.

On 15 June 2023, the department launched a public consultation on the proposed subject content for a new GCSE in BSL. The department’s aim is for first teaching of the GCSE to take place from September 2025. Our aim is that by introducing this new GCSE, more schools and colleges will choose to teach BSL which will, in turn, increase the number of BSL users and advance equality of opportunity.