Deaf children not meeting GCSE benchmark targets

Deaf children in England, are not hitting national GCSE targets, despite hearing loss not being considered a learning disability.

Findings in a report by the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) shows that 36.3 per cent of deaf children are leaving school hitting benchmark GCSE targets compared to 65.3 per cent of classmates without hearing loss.

Gaining five GCSEs, including English and Maths, at grades A* to C,  is the government’s main benchmark for GCSEs.

Additionally, local authorities have been reporting a continuous drop in the numbers of qualified Teachers of the Deaf.

CEO, at the National Deaf Children’s Society, Susan Daniels said: “Deafness is not a learning disability so having a widening gap in GCSE attainment is simply unacceptable. The dwindling support from local authorities for qualified deaf teachers is resulting in deaf children being set up to fail and lagging behind throughout their education. It’s crucial that the Government takes action to clarify how local authorities will be properly held to account for failing deaf children.”