Hamilton Public School's Gillian Stewart one of many to benefit from Auslan syllabus

The Hamilton Public School student was just one week old when she failed to pass the SWISH test and her parents were told she was deaf.

"When we found out Gillian was deaf we thought it was really important to give her access to the deaf culture," her mother Sarah Shands said.

Through her experiences and attending Auslan (Australian Sign Language) lessons since she was three months old, Gillian wanted to share a part of herself with her peers.

"I go up in the classroom and teach them one sign a week," she said.

So far this term she has taught her classmates how to sign blue, purple, green, orange, yellow, red and pink.

"I enjoy teaching my classmates things that they don't know yet and they're fast learners," she said.

The year one student has already made a head start on integrating sign language at her school and she is one of many deaf children across the state set to benefit from the introduction of the first Auslan syllabus for primary and secondary students by the Minns Labor Government.

Designed and shaped in consultation with the deaf community, teachers, students and parents, the syllabus will be an optional course that can be taught in kindergarten to year 10 classrooms from the beginning of 2026.

Assistant Principal Itinerant Support Teacher Hearing (ISTH) Deb Munro, who has been working with Gillian for two years, says the Auslan syllabus will teach students about deaf culture and the importance of Auslan being its own language.

"Schools can decide on how they want to implement it, it won't be a compulsory subject, but we are working on integrating it," she said.

"For all of the children I work with like Gillian, Auslan is their first language. It has its own syntax and grammar system like any other foreign language. It's a language that has culture and linguistic authenticity."

Ms Shands said everybody has a right to communicate and she was excited to see the syllabus be implemented in NSW schools and benefit others like her daughter, to create a "truly inclusive school".

"I'm really excited it's here now and I think the team that have been working on the syllabus have been working really hard to get it right, and the school has been so supportive of Gillian and this learning opportunity," she said.

"Having access to this curriculum where kids will be able to learn how to communicate with deaf people will make the whole of society more inclusive," she said.

"It's not just teaching sign language, it's teaching deaf culture."

Minister for Education and Early Learning and NSW deputy premier Prue Car said she was delighted to see the syllabus released and enhance education across the state.

"NSW offers one of the most comprehensive school languages curriculum in the world and I am committed to exploring how we can make that even better, in a way that is accessible for all students," she said.

"Studying a language at school gives students the skills to participate in our linguistically dynamic world and improves broader communication and literacy skills."

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