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Dept for Education and Employment

Answer

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if all local education authorities recognise dyslexia as a special educational need; and how many local education authorities have been taken to Tribunal for Special Educational Needs appeals in disputes over children with dyslexia since its establishment. [140527] Jacqui Smith: We would expect all local education authorities (LEAs) to recognise dyslexia as a special educational need. In 1998-99, 818 of the 2,412 cases (33.9 per cent.) referred to the SEN Tribunal in England and Wales concerned children with literacy difficulties, including specific learning difficulties (dyslexia). Of cases, which were actually heard, 439 of 1,220 (36 per cent.) concerned such children. However, the Tribunal records do not enable the LEAs concerned to be identified. We are committed as a Government to helping all children with special educational needs and are taking a number of steps to raise the awareness of dyslexia and help teachers to improve the identification and assessment of children who have or may have dyslexia, including through baseline assessment. The National Literacy Strategy has raised standards for all children, including those with dyslexia. We are also taking work forward in partnership with some of the voluntary organisations that support children with dyslexia, including the British Dyslexia Association and the Dyslexia Institute.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

357 c583W; 140527

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Appeals Dyslexia Local education authorities Special educational needs Special Educational Needs Tribunal

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk