The number of WA public schools offering Auslan courses has increased over 500% over the past decade.

Auslan is short for Australian sign language and it is the language used by the Australian Deaf community. The 2021 National Census shows more than 16,000 Australians used Auslan at home, with WA having the fourth highest number of users at 1767. 

According to the WA Department of Education, 93 public schools offered Auslan courses in 2023, a significant increase from only 15 schools in 2013.

Service provider Deaf Connect’s education general manager Kate Matairavula said the key to a successful Auslan curriculum was ensuring teachers had formal Auslan qualifications and were members of the Deaf community, to ensure the language was taught appropriately, incorporating Deaf culture, history and values.

“Auslan is more than just a language; it’s a vital part of Deaf identity. It’s not just about learning signs from a quick search online; it requires deep cultural understanding and high level of proficiency in the language,” she said.

Ms Matairavula said a challenge schools may face when wanting to introduce Auslan was finding staff qualified to teach in a culturally appropriate way with the linguistic knowledge and Auslan proficiency needed.

“In states like WA, the K-10 syllabus does not specify the required level of Auslan language qualifications for teachers,” she said.

“An increase in government investment is also needed to address the shortage of qualified Auslan educators.

“Ensuring that the necessary resources, qualified educators, and inclusive practices are in place will be crucial for the success of this initiative.”

Shenton College and the Shenton College Deaf Education Centre have been providing Auslan classes since 2014 and were the first secondary schools to introduce Auslan as a formal course of study.

The College’s Deaf Education Centre curriculum leader Karen Bontempo said an advantage of teaching Auslan across both was that students had access to authentic opportunities to use the language daily since hearing students mixed with deaf students on campus.

“As a result of the Auslan program, deaf students can go into any of their classes and find a peer – deaf or hearing – who can communicate with them directly.”

Dr Bontempo said the inclusion of an Auslan course is invaluable from a mental health perspective in creating a genuine feeling of belonging and inclusion for deaf students.