§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what studies she has undertaken to follow up the progress of those dyslexic children who are taught at the Word Blind Centre.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe Word Blind Centre closed in 1971. No follow-up studies on those who attended it have since been undertaken.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) under 75W which category of handicap under the Education Act 1944 dyslexic children are placed when school fees are paid for them by local authorities;
(2) how many local authorities are paying for children suffering from dyslexia who are educated in special schools.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonChildren are categorised as being handicapped only if they have been ascertained by the local education authority as having one or more of the disabilities set out in the Handicapped Pupils and Special Schools Regulations 1959 (as amended). These do not include dyslexia, but local education authorities' powers to take up places at non-maintained schools are not confined to the categories of handicapped pupils specified in the regulations. However, my Department does not collect statistics of this kind.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps she is taking to increase the supply of remedial teachers for dyslexic children.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThere is much more awareness than there used to be of problems in the development of language and reading among children, including "dyslexia". The inspectorate is active in fostering this awareness, which is reflected in both the content and provision of initial and in-service teacher training courses. Colleges have been asked to give priority to remedial education in recruiting for initial training. The Warnock Committee is looking into the training of teachers for pupils with various forms of learning difficulty.