Mount Rogers School Embraces Auslan, Fosters Inclusion

0:00Hey, it's Cory with the story with Sydney News today, your city, your news every day. Mount Rogers Primary School in Canberra stands out as the only public school in the Australian Capital Territory teaching Australian Sign Language, or Oslin as its main second language. They made the change from Mandarin in 2024 to support their nine deaf and hard of hearing students, making classes more inclusive for. Kids from preschool right up to year six. Now every child learns Oslin daily and the specialist teacher reports rapid progress. Students have moved from basic words to full conversations, with signing popping up in playgrounds, classrooms, and even among staff and parents, hearing kids connect easily with deaf peers this way, boosting friendships and confidence all around. Deaf students feel a surge in pride, while some who find English or math tough, excel here and gain real achievements. Kids like 10-year-old Sophie, who has a cochlear implant and a deaf family, love sharing their skills and getting top marks.

1:02Her classmates note how fun silence signing is with friends, and they appreciate tabbing into Australia's deaf community without traveling far. This program success shows visual languages like Oslin engage everyone, and the school hopes it sparks wider adoption to build even stronger. And across communities.