Shane Hamilton (17) and Ellie Woods (18), who are both Leaving Cert students at the Holy Family School for the Deaf in Dublin, have said students who use ISL are “unfairly disadvantaged” as many are unable to sit an exam in their first language.
ISL was granted official language status alongside Irish and English in the Irish Sign Language Act of 2017, which requires public services are available through ISL and also greater access to education through ISL.
The State Examinations Commission currently provides exams in a number of ‘non-curricular EU languages’ including Latvian, Romanian, Slovenian, Modern Greek, Finnish, Estonian, Slovakian, Swedish, Czech, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Danish, Dutch, Croatian and Maltese.
“I learned ISL before English and it is an official language of the State. Surely it is only fair that I sit a Leaving Certificate examination in it? Other students get to sit an exam in their first language,” said Mr Hamilton, who hopes to study politics at third-level.
“It is about getting the points that deaf Leaving Certificate students deserve. A lot of colleges require a grade in Irish but many deaf students are unable to study it,” said Ms Woods, who would like to work with deaf children in the area of early intervention.
She believes the introduction of ISL to the Leaving Cert curriculum would remediate the fact that many deaf students are unable to learn Irish and would allow students who are not deaf the option of learning another practical language and gain an understanding of the issues faced by the deaf and hard of hearing.
“While my deafness is not a barrier to what I want to achieve, I need the support of a fair system,” she added.
There are over 5,000 deaf and hard of hearing students in the Irish education system, with 95pc of those in mainstream schooling, according to Chime, the national charity for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Approximately 40,000 deaf and hearing people use ISL on a daily basis and Chime has said the introduction of ISL as an exam subject would also benefit family members who are not deaf but have deaf parents and siblings.
“It is manifestly unfair and disadvantages deaf students because it means they cannot compete on the same basis as their peers for third level places and career opportunities. It is blatant inequality,” said Brendan Lennon, the director of advocacy, research and public affairs at Chime.
“Aside from ignoring an indigenous Irish language, the failure to include ISL as a Leaving Certificate examination subject runs counter to the inclusivity and equality which should underpin education.”
He believes that not having ISL on the curriculum marginalises the deaf community, which is already under-represented in third-level education.
The Department of Education and the State Examinations Commission have been contacted for comment.
