Are our schools failing dyslexics?

It was more than a century ago that dyslexia was first identified as a distinct learning difficulty. The term was coined in 1887 by a German ophthalmologist to describe the case of an otherwise normal boy who had a severe impairment in reading and writing.

In the intervening years, the understanding and treatment of the condition has grown rapidly but, as a new report out today shows, schools across Scotland are still failing some dyslexic pupils.

In a wide-ranging review, HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) found dyslexia is now widely recognised and there are many examples of excellent practice in schools, from effective early intervention and use of technology, to high-quality support and teacher training.

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However, despite this, the report confirms what parents have long argued - that there is a "mixed picture" of support across Scotland, with teachers having varying levels of skills. As a result, the report concludes, "not all young people have their learning needs addressed adequately".

As expected, HMIE skirts nimbly around current controversies over the existence of dyslexia as a condition in its own right, which were typified by the comments of Professor Julian Elliot of Durham University last year.

Although some estimates suggest as many as 10% of any school class could be suffering from a dyslexia-type condition, Professor Elliot claimed it was used by middle-class parents who feared their children would be classed as low achievers.

However, other evidence is compelling. A recent study by Hull University of 1300 children said dyslexia was a major cause of failure, with over half of those who failed to achieve expected levels in basic tests displaying the signs of being dyslexic.

In the opening pages of the HMIE report, Graham Donaldson, senior chief inspector of HMIE, said it was not the organisation's purpose to settle "a long-running and global debate", but rather to take a pragmatic look at the services provided by education authorities and schools for "learners with literacy and language-skills difficulties".

There were some worrying findings. Around half of Scotland's 32 local authorities offered no specialist facilities for children with dyslexia, only eight had specialist teachers or education officers whose main focus was on the condition, and most reported that specialist teachers, while effective, were limited in number.

At secondary level, pupils expressed concern about inconsistency in the use of strategies to deal with dyslexia and, as a result, pupils' learning experiences varied significantly.

In most schools, the report found, teachers had "limited expertise" in dealing with dyslexia and were not aware of associated difficulties such as problems with co-ordination.

In addition, a third of local authorities were unable to provide any information about how many teachers had gained specialist qualifications, while only a small number held specific information about the number of children with dyslexia for whom they currently provided support.

The report found "very few parents or pupils" were sufficiently informed about the policy of the education authority or school relating to dyslexia. Parents were also critical of long delays in accessing specialist support for their children.

The report also found that all of Scotland's further education colleges, which were generally praised for their work on dyslexia, reported concern at the number of learners who had not been assessed prior to going to college.

As a result, the report concluded: "A mixed picture has emerged in which, sometimes due to the stance being taken and the varied level of skills in schools and authorities, not all young people were having their learning needs addressed sufficiently rigorously and some authorities were not able to take an evidence-based and well-informed strategic overview."

HMIE went on to recommend a number of key areas for improvement, including better guidance on dyslexia and how to identify it, greater consistency of support within and across local authorities, greater awareness and expertise in the pre-school sector to pick up problems more quickly, and better professional development for teachers in primary and secondary schools, including the use of resources such as ICT.

Interestingly, although the report studiously avoids becoming involved in the debate over whether dyslexia exists, it highlights a mix of views as to what dyslexia actually is, stating: "Schools, colleges and universities held a range of perspectives. Such a mix of views can cause confusion for... teachers."

Furthermore, the report highlights the fact that some authorities question the need for collecting specific information about dyslexia because of a desire not to categorise children. However, "where such information was collated, it assisted authorities to plan more effectively to meet learners' needs".

Common acceptance of an agreed definition of dyslexia is one of the key demands of Dyslexia Scotland, a national charity that represents the interests of dyslexic people.

Cathy Magee, chief executive, who welcomed the HMIE report, said there were still pupils with dyslexia in Scottish classrooms whose teachers thought they were "lazy or stupid".

She said: "While that is a minority of cases, it is still crippling to the confidence and self-esteem of those involved. The impact cannot be underestimated in terms of whether those pupils will reach their full potential.

"It would be much easier for schools, teachers, and parents to have a definition of dyslexia that is understood and which would allow assessment to be made in a very tangible way.

"In order for there to be coherent strategies across local authorities it is important that councils identify children as having dyslexia, because otherwise it is easier for people to slip through the net."

Fiona Hyslop, the Education Secretary, welcomed the report and said measures had already been taken to address some of the points identified.

The Scottish Government has already met with the deans of the seven universities involved in initial teacher education and agreed a two-year action plan to make training more inclusive, the minister said.

Source: The Herald