Teachers in schools across England face a postcode lottery in terms of specialist support when teaching deaf pupils, according to recent research by the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS).
The survey, Hands up for Help, reveals that specialist support for deaf children aged 0-19 years varies hugely according to where they live. In the North West of England each visiting teacher of the deaf supports an average of 31 deaf children but in some local authorities in other regions, they support over 100 deaf children.
Brian Gale of NDCS, said, “Reduced specialist support in the classroom leaves teachers having to fill the gap, with many struggling to support their deaf pupils. Deafness is not a learning disability yet too many deaf pupils are failing at school.”
The report also highlights the results of a poll of deaf children showing that 94 per cent find that it is easier to do well at school when they get specialist support but nearly 60 per cent say that they only get some support or that the support they get is not enough.
