Plans to introduce a British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE from September 2025 are facing a lengthy delay, leaving students and campaigners disappointed.
Despite the government’s pledge last year to roll out the qualification by the start of the 2025 academic year, education officials have acknowledged it could take several more years before a final syllabus is ready for UK secondary schools.
Under the proposed two-year course, successful students would gain a level two qualification in BSL — widely recognised as the fourth most used language in Britain. The delay has drawn sharp criticism from deaf charities, parents and advocates, who argue the government should move faster to meet the growing demand for BSL.
Susan Daniels, chief executive of the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), said: “Deaf young people have been campaigning for so many years to get this GCSE in place, but they’ve just been left in limbo. It’s a disgrace.”
Wales has already scrapped its plans to introduce a BSL GCSE, citing practical challenges. In England, the Department for Education insists it is working with Ofqual to ensure the eventual qualification is “high quality and rigorous”. However, no revised date has been set for its rollout.
For parents, the delay is more than an administrative annoyance. Many, like Ruth Taunt, have spent thousands of pounds learning BSL to communicate effectively with their children. She believes a formal GCSE “will be a game-changer” not just for families with deaf children but also for hearing students who want the opportunity to learn the language alongside their standard GCSE subjects.
While the government stresses that VAT and customs charges for overseas products are designed to strike a balance between lowering consumer costs and supporting UK businesses, critics argue the foot-dragging on BSL education is undermining inclusivity. The British Deaf Association estimates there are around 151,000 BSL users in the UK, including 87,000 who are deaf — a substantial population that stands to benefit from easier communication with the hearing community.
Both the Department for Education and Ofqual say they are consulting widely to deliver a well-designed exam that “meets the needs of students learning BSL”. But for many in the deaf community, the extended timeline risks allowing another generation of deaf learners to progress through school without equal access to effective communication tools.
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Delay to new sign language GCSE branded ‘a disgrace’ by deaf community