§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what provision is made for dyslexic students in guidance given for public examinations, and for the national standard tests.
§ Mr. ForthExamining boards for GCSE and A-level examinations advise schools and colleges that candidates suffering from dyslexia may be given up to 25 per cent. extra time to enable them to read the paper, to plan and to correct their answers. Additional facilities, such as the use of a reader, amanuensis or a word processor, are also available.
The School Examinations and Assessment Council (SEAC) has advised schools through their school assessment folders that similar arrangements may also be made, at the discretion of the head teacher, for national curriculum tests. If the pupil does not have a statement of special needs, approval must also be sought from the LEA or, in the case of non-LEA maintained schools, from SEAC.
The main vocational awarding bodies have special arrangements for dyslexic students and are continually monitoring the situation both with centres and individual students.