In short:
Beverley District High School is one of 130 schools across WA teaching Auslan.
asserted
School → teach → Auslan
The expansion of the program is resulting in the involvement of the deaf community in program delivery.
asserted
expansion → result → delivery
However, one advocate says there are barriers to their participation.
asserted
advocate → say → participation
Inside a classroom in regional Western Australia, students are so quiet they could hear a pin drop.
uncertain
they → hear → drop
The lack of audible chatter is not a reflection of the communication taking place.
asserted
lack → take → place
The silence is the sound of focus and concentration while learning a language.
asserted
silence → learn → language
Students are taking part in Auslan classes, a program that has fast become the favourite subject of students at Beverley District High School, 120 kilometres east of Perth.
asserted
that → take → Perth
Students from pre-primary to year 8 take part in up to two Auslan classes a week under the guidance of hearing teacher Isabel Freeman.
asserted
Students → take → Freeman
And they are not alone, with statistics from the Department of Education showing nearly 130 public schools in the state now teach Auslan.
asserted
schools → show → Auslan
Four years of learning
Ms Freeman began sharing her Auslan knowledge by chance while working at the school as a secondary English and HASS teacher.
asserted
Freeman → begin → English
"We had a non-verbal student at the school, and I was teaching her Auslan," she said.
asserted
she → have → Auslan
"And when the Italian teacher retired, because Italian was our Language Other Than English, the school asked me if I would like to teach Auslan."
asserted
I → retire → Auslan
Ms Freeman said that as a hearing Auslan teacher, the consultation of her Auslan mentor and qualified Deaf teacher Angela Linfitt meant teaching was culturally appropriate and considered.
asserted
teaching → say → mentor
"It makes it more authentic," she said.
asserted
she → make → ?
Ms Linfitt has mentored Ms Freeman throughout her Auslan teaching, and said the expansion of Auslan in schools created more career opportunities for deaf professionals.
asserted
expansion → mentor → professionals
"It's critical [to have deaf mentoring] because deaf people are professionals, they are specialists of their own language,"Ms Linfitt said.
asserted
Linfitt → have → mentoring
"It's really important to have [deaf people] involved in the program to make sure it's being taught correctly."
In WA, school-based Auslan teachers are required to hold a teacher's registration and be trained in Auslan, requirements Ms Linfitt said could rule out members of the deaf community.
uncertain
Linfitt → have → community
"Unfortunately there isn't enough funding at the moment for deaf people to be involved in those roles," she said.
asserted
she → be → roles
"It can be very difficult to go to university for a deaf person, they face many barriers.
"
asserted
they → go → barriers
We need additional support to access services and get through that system."
asserted
We → need → system
Creating an inclusive environment
Student Bethel Fraser sits front and centre during her Auslan class, eagerly repeating back words and phrases.
asserted
Fraser → create → words
She said she enjoyed sharing her skills with others.
asserted
she → say → others
"In Auslan we can teach other people around us so that soon everybody knows Auslan so we can communicate with the deaf," she said.
asserted
she → teach → deaf
Beverley District High School principal Wendy Norris, who joined the school earlier this year, said she was amazed at how engaged students were with the program.
asserted
students → join → program
"It allows our students to be inclusive in the community as well," she said.
"
asserted
she → allow → community
It's not just something they do in the classroom.
asserted
they → do → classroom
They can take these skill sets as life skills to be able to communicate with all people from all cultures and all diverse populations."
asserted
They → take → cultures
Students from the school have previously attended the Beverley Frail Aged Lodge where they taught residents everyday signs.
asserted
they → attend → signs
"The children loved it because they were the real experts teaching the older generation," Ms Freeman said.
asserted
Freeman → love → generation
She said learning Auslan was accessible to all students, with lessons differing from traditional classes.
asserted
learning → say → classes
"'I feel I have the best job in the world because the students are so enthusiastic, they want to learn," Ms Freeman said.
"
asserted
Freeman → feel → world
It's a level playing field so they're not having problems reading or writing or doing maths.
asserted
they → have → maths
"Everybody can enjoy it and everybody can learn and everybody can have success."
asserted
everybody → enjoy → success
The Aporia