Irish Sign Language Awareness Week 2024 recently took place from September 23 to 29, and Shane Hamilton (17) and Ellie Woods (18), both students at the Holy Family School for the Deaf in Cabra, have been busy campaigning. Together, they are working towards their goal of having Irish Sign Language (ISL) introduced as a Leaving Cert exam subject.
Despite the passing of the Irish Sign Language Act in 2017, which granted ISL official language status in Ireland alongside Irish and English, it is still not an option on the Leaving Certificate curriculum. Chime, the national charity for deaf and hard of hearing people, underscored the need for its inclusion, noting that there are over 5,000 deaf and hard of hearing students in the Irish education system, with the majority—around 95%—attending mainstream schools.
Additionally, approximately 40,000 people, both deaf and hearing, use ISL daily in Ireland.
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Currently, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) offers Leaving Certificate exams in a wide range of languages, including Latvian, Romanian, Slovakian, and Finnish, among others.
The SEC’s policy allows native speakers of national languages from EU states to take exams in their mother tongues, as per Article 149 of the Treaty of Nice. However, ISL is not yet recognised in the same way, leaving many deaf students unable to learn Irish, a requirement for many courses in higher education.
Shane and Ellie believe that adding Irish Sign Language to the Leaving Cert would not only support deaf students but also give hearing students the opportunity to learn a practical language while fostering awareness of issues faced by the deaf and hard of hearing community. Their campaign aims to ensure ISL is fully integrated into the education system, benefiting both deaf and hearing students across Ireland.
In a conversation with Chime about the campaign, Ellie highlighted its importance: “While my deafness is not a barrier to what I want to achieve, I need the support of a fair system”.
Both students have aspirations for third-level education, with Shane interested in studying politics and Ellie aiming to work with deaf children in early intervention.
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