Debate contribution: Support for Deaf Children
Debate contribution by Mr Danny Baker on .
- MLA
- Mr Danny Baker
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 21 October 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Support for Deaf Children
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4604148
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member who moved motion, which we support, and for articulating the barriers so well. Sinn Féin wants an education system underpinned by equality that delivers for all and leaves no child or young person behind. Deaf children and young people should perform just as well as their peers, and they should know that, while deafness presents challenges, it does not have to prevent them from living the life that they want to lead. Right now, that is not happening. Better support would allow those children to thrive. However, services are under-resourced. Most deaf children attend mainstream schools, where there is a good chance that they will be the only deaf child. Deaf children and young people have varying types and levels of deafness. That presents a challenge for educationalists who work with deaf children and for their families, who need as much information as possible as early as possible. Some deaf children use sign language and some lip-read. Others will use hearing aids or implants, but their ability to hear will never be the same as that of a child who does not need support with their hearing. The Education Authority's sensory service works with children and young people with sensory impairment from the time of their diagnosis through all stages of their education. However, the level and availability of the support is not where it should be. Unfortunately, deaf children and young people have no guarantee that their teachers or classroom assistants will be able to communicate with them in their first language. Provision is spread thinly, and, in some cases, it is decreasing, despite an increase in the number of deaf children. It is a fact that there is not enough support for children and young people who want to be educated through the medium of sign language. The Minister of Education must focus on closing the attainment gap experienced by deaf children and young people, particularly at GCSE level. The attainment of deaf children at school should be the same as that among the general population, but that is far from the case. Having GCSEs in English and mathematics is essential to accessing the North's labour market. As a result, the current attainment gap means that deaf young people are being disadvantaged in education and employment. Once a deaf young person progresses beyond their GCSEs, the attainment gap tends to close. For example, deaf young people often do well at university because they have developed coping strategies and are able to deal with their environment. The best educational outcomes for deaf children and young people will be accomplished via consistent and more effective early intervention. Early intervention is crucial, if young minds are to develop communication skills and acquire language, including sign, to enable them to compete effectively with their hearing peers. They also must be given the right support in the school environment, and teaching staff must be given the right training and resources to achieve that. I encourage the Minister of Education and his Department to focus on achieving the best possible outcome for deaf children and young people and on ensuring that they are provided with every opportunity to succeed. Our schools must be fully prepared and understand the needs of children and young people in the classrooms. Children and young people with hearing impairments and deafness should no longer be sidelined.
561 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.95).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.05 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.04 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.95 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 1.00 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:25 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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