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Class struggle over dyslexia
THE social class of a family already plays too much of a role in determining the academic success of children. The suggestion that some middle class pupils are now receiving special favours by being diagnosed as dyslexic is alarming.
Parents' enthusiasm for such private diagnoses is a sign of the pressure children are under to do well in their GCSEs and it must give pause for thought as to whether this has become too great. It is also a reflection of the great disparities in the state school system and shows that parents are concerned their children have not been prepared sufficiently for exams.
Every parent wants the best for their child. None should be criticised for this but if the upshot is the creation of a two-tier
system – in which those from poorer backgrounds go undiagnosed in the state education service while those with a disability are given concessions to help them through exams – then something has to change.
The trend of academic results has long been related to the prosperity of the child's family but if exams really have become a lottery, as one dyslexia charity suggests, then the system has failed.
Referring children for private dyslexia assessments is also problematic because the process remains open to abuse. One expert appears to allude to this when he warns that middle class parents will pay 300 to an educational psychologist "who knows what they want".
The increase of 75,000 in just four years in the number of pupils being granted special arrangements from exam boards for GCSEs and A-levels is extraordinary and it invites scrutiny from Ofqual, the qualifications watchdog.
The solution, as always in the state system, is to try to raise standards across the board. Whether this can be done by simply spending more money is difficult to say. Better understanding of dyslexia – a common but little-discussed condition – could prove more effective. Only this will ensure children get the help they need while preventing parents from playing
the system.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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