Vol. 535 No. 2
82 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Education and Science the help available for students with dyslexia who attend classes outside school hours; and the current support within and outside the classroom in this regard. [12333/01]
The educational needs of pupils with dyslexia of primary school age are generally capable of being met within the mainstream school system with the support, where necessary, of the remedial teacher service or the resource teacher service. There are currently 1,480 remedial teachers and more than 750 full-time or part-time resource teachers in place in the primary system.
For some children the severity of the condition can be such as to require placement in a special school or a special class attached to an ordinary school. At present there are four special schools and 19 special classes dedicated to children with dyslexia. Funding is also provided to meet any special equipment needs of the children in question.
At second level pupils with dyslexia are normally integrated into mainstream classes. In such situations they may receive additional tutorial support through the remedial teacher, guidance counsellor and subject teacher. Depending on the severity of the condition, they may also be eligible for special arrangements in the certificate examinations. In December 2000 I announced a highly innovative nationwide pilot scheme to assist second level students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. As many as 31 schools around the country will participate in the pilot project costing £2 million. Each student with dyslexia will be provided with a laptop computer and specially designed software for school and home use.
In addition to funding the in-school support services, my Department supports the work of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland in providing classes for children with dyslexia outside of school hours. An annual funding allocation of £58,600 is made to the association to support this work.
In October 2000, I established a special task force on dyslexia to examine the adequacy of current educational responses to children with dyslexia and to make recommendations considered necessary for the further improvement of services in this area. The task force has now completed its detailed deliberations and is currently finalising its report. It expects to be in a position to present its report before the end of this month. I am confident that its report will provide a valuable input into the further development of education services in this important area.
