Canberra School Ditches Mandarin to Teach Sign Language

Imagine getting a classroom full of kids to stay silent for 45 minutes. At Mount Rogers Primary School in Canberra, students happily turn their voices off because they're too busy signing to talk.

The school made a bold move in 2024. It became the only public school in Australia's Capital Territory to teach Australian Sign Language (Auslan) instead of Mandarin as its second language.

The reason? Nine Deaf and hard-of-hearing students needed classmates who could communicate with them. Now every child from preschool to year 6 is learning to sign.

Teacher Simone Xirakis keeps rewriting her lesson plans because students are learning faster than expected. They've gone from memorizing basic signs to holding full conversations in just two years.

"What we're seeing in the playground is students signing with these Deaf students who have no other access to language and very excited to do so," Xirakis said.

Sophie, a year 5 student who wears a cochlear implant, loves showing off her signing skills. She comes from a Deaf family and finally gets to share her home language at school.

"It's especially nice, because I get As," she laughed. Sophie wishes more Canberra schools would follow Mount Rogers' lead so Deaf people could communicate anywhere.

Her classmate Celeste discovered something important through the program. "You don't have to go on some fancy holiday to France or Japan just to be able to use Auslan," the 10-year-old said. The Australian Deaf community is right here, welcoming anyone who wants to learn.

The Ripple Effect

The program is reaching students traditional academics sometimes miss. Kids who struggle in English or math are finding confidence and pride in the Auslan classroom.

The benefits extend beyond communication. Students learn about Deaf culture, identity, and history alongside the language. For the school's Deaf students, it's built what Xirakis calls "Deaf pride."

Year 5 student Elijah discovered a bonus feature. "It's fun communicating with your friends with Auslan with no voice," he said. "Before the teachers knew it, you could do it in class, but most of the teachers know it now, so you can't do it in class."

Even parents are picking up signs, creating a more inclusive community beyond school walls.

The school hopes its success will inspire other schools to embrace Auslan and motivate students to continue studying the language as they grow up.