A school inspired by British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters for the Scottish first minister’s daily coronavirus briefings has racked up nearly 200,000 views.
The BSL performance of A Million Dreams, from hit film The Greatest Showman, was recorded from their homes by pupils at Victoria Primary School, in Edinburgh.
The final-year pupils, who have now left after school broke up for the summer, were inspired to learn BSL after seeing the interpreters who sign beside first minister Nicola Sturgeon in her daily Covid-19 updates.
Ms Sturgeon is among the many people who have tweeted praise of the pupils. She wrote: “Not sure I should have watched this just before doing the daily briefing - I appear to have something in my eye. Well done @Victoria_P7 - this is beautiful! Very proud of you! I’ll make sure our wonderful BSL interpreters see it too.”
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Most Scottish schools are now on their summer break, and the pupils at the Edinburgh school was decided this was how they wanted to mark their departure before moving up to secondary school after the summer.
The pupils were also told, by a civil servant who works in equality and human rights, that the interpreters who work at the daily briefings “pass on their sincere appreciation, especially of the obvious effort the young people have put in, which is to be applauded”. He added: “In time we will hopefully see more people signing British Sign Language throughout Scotland.”
Not sure I should have watched this just before doing the daily briefing - I appear to have something in my eye. Well done @Victoria_P7 - this is beautiful! Very proud of you! I’ll make sure our wonderful BSL interpreters see it too. https://t.co/qxoNc2EiKz
- Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) June 26, 2020
The pupils’ teacher, Blair Minchin, tweeted: “Cried twice putting this together, this class are amazing!”
Amanda Corrigan, deputy head of the University of Strathclyde’s School of Education, said: “This was beautiful, P7. Enjoy your holiday and all the very best after the summer.”
Another tweet said it was “such a shame for the P7s the way they’ve left primary” with “no celebrations”, but that marking the transition to secondary school in other ways, such as the BSL video, was “lovely”.
The BSL/ English interpreters involved have asked me to pass on their sincere appreciation, especially of the obvious effort the young people have put in, which is to be applauded. Because BSL/English interpreters provide a vital service every day throughout Scotland... 1/4 https://t.co/atOAxkT7XS
- Frankie McLean (@frankie_mclean) June 27, 2020
