Dyslexic boy fights for right to extra teaching
A schoolboy has won the right to address an education board for his right to a specialist literacy teacher.
The nine-year-old dyslexic boy was granted leave by his school to seek a judicial review at the High Court on Tuesday (October 18th).
His aim was to encourage the educational board to allow him the privilege of a specialist teacher at his school in Belfast to help him improve his literacy skills, which due to his learning disability are below the rest of students his age.
Judge Mr Justice Treacy heard that nearly 70 other children within the South Eastern Education and Library Board in Northern Ireland are in the same situation.
This case is one of 400 other instances where children in the area require extra help with their learning.
Worries that this could cause a child psychological harm were expressed by Rachel Hogan of the Children's Law Centre. She said: "The consequences for a child like this are very, very severe. It's not just about reading and writing and how they learn. They feel different from their peers."
The case is due for a full hearing next month.
BBC News reports that about four per cent of the population have severe dyslexia, while a further six per cent experience mild to moderate problems.
