Deaf children achieve whole GCSE grade lower than other children for SEVENTH year running

The UK Government has been urged to “level the playing field” for deaf children, after analysis of last year’s GCSE results has revealed they have achieved an entire grade less than all children for the seventh year in a row.

The finding, which comes ahead of this year’s GCSE results day on Thursday, shows deaf children secured a “standard pass” of grade 4 on average. This in comparison to all children who received an average grade 5 – the equivalent of a high C or low B on the old grading system first replaced in 2015.

In English and Maths, just over a third (37.7%) of deaf children achieved a grade 5 in both subjects, as opposed to more than a half (51.9%) of all children.

As a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the UK Government announced in January 2021 that grades for the year’s cohort would once again be based on teacher assessments, with exams and assessments cancelled for the second consecutive year.

However for deaf pupil Helen, who will receive her GCSE results later this week, a lack of deaf awareness in school created barriers to her accessing her lessons.

She said: “Teachers refused to switch their cameras on for online lessons during lockdown, which meant deaf students were unable to hear or lipread. It was deemed the teacher’s safety online was more important than my education, which meant I missed about a year’s worth of learning.

“We were left isolated and made to feel like we were worthless.”

The National Deaf Children’s Society has called on the government to use its review into special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to improve long-term support for deaf children, including an investment in more Teachers of the Deaf.

Numbers of the specialist staff have declined over the past decade, by 17%.

Helen added: “My local Teacher of the Deaf service is fantastic. They repeatedly offered the school free training, which they refused, and sent lots of information which many members of staff didn’t even look at.”

Commenting on the latest GCSE attainment figures for deaf children, NDCS’ director of policy and campaigns Mike Hobday said they were “yet further proof” of the education system “consistently failing deaf children”.

“The current setup is simply not fit for purpose, and without targeted investment in Teachers of the Deaf and other frontline staff, nothing will change.

“Deafness isn’t a learning disability and there’s no reason why deaf children should achieve less than hearing children. The issue is clearly a lack of support.

“This needs to be a serious wake-up call for anyone working in deaf education. If the Government fails to act during the SEND review, generation after generation of deaf children will keep being let down by a system that is meant to support them,” he said.

NDCS’ latest comments echo remarks made by the charity last week, when the charity said the government must address a “shocking shortfall” in achievements for deaf children taking A-Level subjects.

Senior policy adviser Martin McLean said: “Education is a right, not a privilege, and deaf students deserve the same opportunities as everyone else.”

In a statement, a Department for Education spokesperson told The Limping Chicken: “All children and young people, including those who are deaf or have a hearing impairment, should receive the support they need to succeed in their education.

“There is a legal requirement for qualified teachers to hold relevant mandatory qualifications when teaching classes of pupils who have a sensory impairment.

“Our SEND and alternative provision green paper proposals will build on this support, aiming to change the culture and practice in mainstream education to be more inclusive. This includes through earlier intervention, improved targeted support and better workforce training.”

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.