As massive changes to education in Wales slowly comes into place, we take a look at a unique GCSE which has been pushed back a year. British Sign Language was originally planend to become a new qualification in 2026, but due to a little known quirk of the Welsh version of British Sign Language, those in charge want it perfected before it goes out.
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00:00 The new curriculum in Wales has seen massive changes to the way subjects are taught and
00:07 what subjects are taught in Wales. GCSEs are the next step to the changes but one qualification
00:12 has already been pushed back by a year.
00:16 British Sign Language is soon going to be an official GCSE in Wales but instead of being
00:19 taught from 2026 like previously announced, it will now start in 2027 instead. GCSEs hope
00:25 to not just be inclusive and help break down barriers but also be a high quality qualification
00:30 reflective of the Welsh dialect of British Sign Language or BSL.
00:34 This is the main problem causing the delay, given the fact that BSL is different depending
00:38 on what part of the country you're looking at. People in charge of the new GCSE want
00:42 it properly implemented as a specific Welsh dialect BSL qualification. England have plans
00:47 for their own BSL GCSE but because England and other UK nations have a centralised way
00:51 of deciding new and regional signs, they are able to implement the GCSE quicker, by 2025.
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