Government ‘must close the gap for deaf children’

By Elizabeth Choppin

Deaf children are being “left behind” by the education system and are not achieving at the levels they should, according to new research.

The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) launched a report* this week as part of its Close the Gap campaign, calling on the government to close the “attainment gap” between deaf children and hearing children by 2022.

The report flags ups statistics that show deaf children in England are 42 per cent less likely to achieve five good GCSEs than hearing children, and that one in five parents with deaf children believe their child’s school has low expectations of them.

The research also shows a postcode lottery in the quality of specialist services, family support and specialist education support, and a lack of resources for parents, teachers and specialist staff.

NDCS called for a government strategy, underpinned by adequate funding and higher standards, specifically targeted at the educational needs of deaf children.

NDCS chief executive Susan Daniels said: “Deafness is not a learning disability. There is absolutely no reason why deaf children without additional needs should not be achieving on a par with their hearing peers. It is a scandal that such a huge attainment gap exists and action must be taken to address this.”

A Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) spokesman said the report was a “useful contribution” to identifying and addressing the needs of deaf students.

He said: “We are working with the NDCS to better support these pupils, and the department already has a target to narrow the gap in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.”

He said the DCSF recently announced an £800,000 initiative to improve demand for and use of British Sign Language among the children's workforce.

Schools minister Lord [Andrew] Adonis attended the NDCS campaign launch.

*Must Do Better. For a copy, tel: 020 7490 8656 or visit www.ndcs.org.uk
25 June, 2008