Deaf children worse off than 5 years ago

Almost half of specialist teachers for deaf children feel pupils are performing worse than five years ago, a charity suggests.

The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) says the system is in absolute crisis and specialist teachers are being “crushed” by the demands of their role.

The charity warns teachers are battling stress and having to deal with spiralling work- loads and excessive hours. The admission comes after a survey of 625 specialist teachers, carried out by the charity and the British Association of Teachers of the Deaf, revealed almost half (46 per cent) experience stress in their role on a weekly basis, with a quarter affected every day.

According to the poll, more than four in five (87 per cent) are now working longer hours due to increasing workloads, with 63 per cent forced to work an extra day every week just to keep up.

Around six in ten teachers surveyed (58 per cent) said there was less support available for deaf children than in 2014.

Almost half (43 per cent) felt pupils were now performing worse.

NDCS chief executive Susan Daniels said: “The results of this survey show a system in absolute crisis. Specialist teachers do an incredible job ... however, they are being crushed by the demands of a role which has become simply unsustainable.”