Leanyer School, Darwin, teaches Auslan sign language to all students

A Darwin school has become the first in the Territory to adopt Auslan sign language in mainstream education. Here’s how it is changing lives for people of all hearing abilities.

More than 3.6 million Australians live with hearing loss, but only 20,000 use Auslan every day.

One Territory school is shaking up those odds and teaching the language to students of all hearing abilities.

Leanyer School started teaching its year 1 to year 6 students Auslan this school year, aiming to make classrooms more inclusive for its two students with hearing loss.

The northern suburbs school has Darwin Languages Centre and Auslan teacher Clayton Hanson on board, who teaches three days per week.

Leanyer School assistant principal Ben McCasker said Auslan was now the primary language subject for about 450 students.

For students like Sophie (left) who are deaf, Leanyer School's move to teach Auslan sign language to all students has been life-changing. Picture: Annabel Bowles

Preschool and transition students have also been learning the alphabet, numbers and songs in Auslan.

“It’s really important that our students firstly learn the language of the deaf community but it’s also around that appreciation and understanding of the challenges that our deaf community face,” Mr McCasker said.

“A lot of the benefits are not just related to learning the language but also around the importance of different brain functions, reaction time, peripheral vision and also understanding some non-verbal communication.

Leanyer School, in partnership with Darwin Languages Centre and teacher Clayton Hanson (pictured), has become the first in the Territory to teach Auslan sign language to all students. Picture: Annabel Bowles

“We’re very proud to say we are the first school to introduce this program, hopefully we can lay the path for other schools to follow.

“We are giving people the power to connect to others who they otherwise would not have the ability to do so.”

Teacher Mr Hanson said it was both exciting and challenging to chart the path for Territory schools to adopt Auslan in mainstream education.

“The two students (with hearing loss) here are so much more confident, you can see they’re so much more assertive,” he said.

“They can communicate with all the staff – not just the one or two people they used to speak to.”

Teacher Clayton Hanson and Leanyer School assistant principal Ben McCasker have worked together to teach Auslan sign language to all students. Picture: Annabel Bowles

Mr Hanson said the skills students learn could also encourage them to consider a career in interpreting later in life.

“At the moment there is a huge shortage and limitations to interpreters in the workforce,” he said.

Department of Education chief executive Karen Weston welcomed the partnership between Leanyer School and Darwin Languages Centre.

“This school is reaching out to create a much more inclusive learning environment for students with hearing loss,” she said.

“It’s changing the culture of acceptance.”

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