§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many schools in Northern Ireland have a specialised teacher for children suffering from dyslexia at(a) primary level and (b) post-primary level.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThis information is not readily available in the form requested.
516WDyslexia can describe a variety of specific learning difficulties experienced by children. In most cases the children concerned are educated in ordinary schools, many of which have teachers with responsibility for co-ordinating remedial teaching by class teachers and who also provide remedial teaching for small groups of children withdrawn from their normal classes for short periods each week.
Education and library boards have a duty to identify and make provision for children with special educational needs. Assistance for pupils with literacy and numeracy problems is provided in a number of ways, for example, by peripatetic remedial teachers, reading centres, literacy teaching and support services and outreach from some special schools.
§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what training teachers receive in(a) recognising symptoms of dyslexia in pupils and (b) how to assist pupils who show symptoms of dyslexia.
§ Dr. MawhinneyDyslexia can describe a variety of learning difficulties experienced by children. All courses of initial teacher training must include an element designed to enable students to develop the capacity to identify and deal with pupils with learning difficulties. For serving teachers, the education and library boards mount in-service courses with similar objectives.
The Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (CATE), whose remit applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, is at present undertaking an inquiry into the preparation of student teachers to teach reading. As part of this inquiry, CATE has been asked to devote attention to the question of the training of teachers in how to identify and help pupils who might be termed dyslexic.