Vol. 497 No. 6
91 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Education and Science the training, if any, provided to date to primary and secondary school teachers to facilitate identifying children who suffer from dyslexia; the nature of the school service, if any, available to teachers who refer a child for assessment for dyslexia in consultation with the child's parents; and the guidelines his Department furnishes to teachers to address the problem of dyslexia. [22457/98]
Classroom teachers in primary and post-primary schools, in consultation with remedial teachers, have the lead responsibility for the identification and remediation of specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia. My Department has supported courses in remedial education for many years. Since 1994, there has been a national programme of training for remedial teachers. At present, post-graduate courses for teachers at primary and post-primary levels are held in six centres in universities and in colleges of education. In the current academic year 99 primary teachers and 64 post-primary teachers are attending these courses. These courses in remedial education are supported and directly funded by the in-career development unit of my Department. The syllabus includes training in the diagnosis and identification of reading difficulties and in appropriate techniques for remediation. In particular, there is a focus on the problem of specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia, in relation to diagnosis and pedagogy.
Many shorter courses for remedial and other interested teachers in specific learning difficulties have been supported financially by my Department. They have been mainly provided through the network of education centres, through teachers' organisations and through the programme of summer courses for primary teachers. Remedial teachers may need to consult educational psychologists in respect of certain pupils who display marked specific learning difficulties. My Department provides an educational psychological service at present to all post-primary schools and to more than 700 primary schools. The psychologists provide assessments and advice to teachers and parents in respect of students with specific learning difficulties as the resources of time and personnel allow. My Department's psychologists are firmly committed to consultation with parents as an essential part of the assessment process.
