The estimated 10 per cent of schoolchildren with dyslexia and other reading difficulties are set to gain vastly increased State support, after the Department of Education formally announced a new task force.
The Task Force on Dyslexia has been requested to present its proposals within three months. The Minister for Education, Dr Woods, said much more needed to be done to address the problem.
In the past children, parents and teachers had been asked to make do with inadequate support and resource. The State was now in a position where it could invest properly in this area, he said.
The number of children suffering from dyslexia and other reading difficulties in the Republic is unknown. This is largely because they have received so little expert support and attention.
Recent British surveys suggest some three pupils in every class of 30 have mild or moderate difficulties, with one in every class experiencing severe difficulties. The Department estimate is that some 10 per cent of Irish children have some form of dyslexia.
Dr Woods said he had an open mind on whether dyslexic children should be educated in regular classes or in special, smaller classes. There was, he said, no single solution for all children. The task force would examine what was best for different children with different needs.
At present four special schools are dedicated to the needs of children with dyslexia. There are also 18 special classes in other primary schools, with a pupil teacher ratio of 11:1. In the coming months, the Department hopes to provide 50 additional psychologists, bringing the number within the system to 100.
The Task Force is chaired by Dr Peadar Cremin, president of Mary Immaculate College of Education in Limerick.