Current status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to improve (a) access to BSL for children and young people and (b) teaching of BSL in schools, as set out in action 19 of the British Sign Language National Plan 2023-2029, since the publication of the plan in November 2023.
The Scottish Government is committed to making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn. The BSL National Plan 2023-29 is a cross government plan containing 45 actions under the 10 priority themes. Education is a key theme within the plan, with stretch aims that will help improve access to BSL for children and young people in schools.
The BSL National Plan Implementation Advisory Group will consider this theme further over the course of the plan's six year life cycle. Activity to date has focused on understanding the support put in place by Local Authorities, who have responsibility under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those affected by deafness.