§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what plans she has to increase funding for promoting awareness of dyslexia in education; and if she will make a statement; [25770]
(2) what plans she has to increase awareness of dyslexia among education professionals. [25773]
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe Department's code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs, which came into force on 1 September 1994, offers statutory guidance to schools and local education authorities on their responsibilities towards all pupils with special educational needs. It includes a section on specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia. The Department has recently funded, or is continuing to fund, four dyslexia research projects at a total cost of some £440,000.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures she is taking to ensure that students at teacher training colleges are made aware of the problems of dyslexia. [25774]
§ Mr. SquireThe Secretary of State's criteria for initial teacher training—ITT—require new teachers to be able to identify and respond appropriately to relevant individual differences between pupils. The Teacher Training Agency accredits ITT course providers to ensure that they meet the criteria. The Office for Standards in Education inspects ITT courses, and the results of the inspections are published.