Imagine if in Britain, an adult who can only speak basic English got a job as an elementary school homeroom teacher.

There would likely be anxiety and concern among parents, children and even the teacher about the educator’s ability to teach.

However, situations analogous to this scenario exist in Japan today—in schools for deaf children.

The educators in these schools don’t always know sign language themselves, even though they are assigned to teach deaf children who have grown up using Japanese Sign Language as their first language.

I have read about the experiences of a teacher who, upon being transferred to a deaf school, expressed hesitation due to lack of sign language skills.

The teacher was reassured with these words: “The children are trained to speak vocally, so it will be fine.”

Yet, classes for deaf students conducted in rudimentary sign language do not always proceed as intended. A simple arithmetic problem such as, “There are five red goldfish and three black goldfish. How many goldfish are there in total?” can turn into a guessing game of words.

In writing about such experiences at a school for the deaf, the former teacher regretted that the children may have been robbed of their mother tongue.

A court has handed down a ruling on a case brought by two children who attended the Sapporo School for the Deaf. They have filed a lawsuit seeking compensation, claiming that they were not taught in Japanese Sign Language.

It appears there were instances where the children had to simplify what they wanted to communicate to the teacher into basic sign language terms or repeat themselves multiple times just for the teacher to understand.

However, the decision by the Sapporo District Court showed little sympathy for the children’s hardships.

Pointing out that no laws specifically guarantee education in Japanese Sign Language, the ruling said that a “certain level” of education can be achieved in classes for deaf children by combining other means of expression. These words sound disturbingly callous.

In Japan, 536 local governments, including Hokkaido, now have ordinances recognizing sign language as a unique language different from Japanese and upholding the importance of promoting its use.

If sign language is indeed recognized as a unique language, it must be genuinely protected and integrated, especially on the front lines of education. Otherwise, what is the purpose of these ordinances if they merely chant slogans?

—The Asahi Shimbun, May 26