Local MP supports campaign to improve attainment levels of deaf children

Malcolm Moss MP for North East Cambridgeshire is supporting the National Deaf Children’s Society’s (NDCS) campaign to close the attainment gap that exists between deaf and hearing children. Malcolm Moss MP attended the launch of the NDCS campaign report, ‘Must do better’, on Tuesday 24 June 2008.

There is a significant attainment gap across the UK. For example, statistics reveal that deaf children across England are 42% less likely to achieve 5 GCSEs at grades A to C than hearing children (1), and in the East of England only 40% of deaf children achieve 5 GCSEs at grades A* to C compared with a national average of 57%.

Malcolm Moss MP says:

“I am fully supporting the NDCS ‘Must do better’ campaign report. It was fantastic to meet some deaf children today and to talk to them about what their hopes and dreams are for the future. There is absolutely no reason why deaf children without additional needs should not be achieving on a par with their hearing peers and fulfilling their potential”.

Susan Daniels, NDCS Chief Executive adds:

“It is fantastic that Malcolm Moss MP is supporting the rights of deaf children. Today we are calling on governments across the UK to take a lead and make a commitment to close the attainment gap between deaf children and their hearing peers by 2022. The national governments of the UK must give leadership, set standards and provide funding to ensure that no deaf child is left behind. A comprehensive strategy, tailored and targeted at the specific needs of deaf children is urgently required; without this deaf children will continue to be left behind”. (2)

The NDCS campaign report ‘Must do better’ details the key barriers to deaf children’s achievement and provides detailed solutions for the government to act on. Research outlined in the report shows that parents with deaf children experience considerable geographical variations in the information given to them, the quality of audiology services, family support, specialist education support and local authority provision.

The research further highlights that parents, teachers and specialist staff are not getting the resources they need from local authorities to be able to support deaf children. A recent survey of parents with deaf children, outlined in the report, shows that one in five parents with deaf children believe that their child’s school or early years’ setting has low expectations of what their child can achieve.

Over 100 MPs have shown their support for the NDCS Close the gap campaign by signing an Early Day Motion, calling on the government to take action to address the attainment gap that exists between deaf and hearing children (3).