Dyslexia support to be explored by committee

The education provisions for those living with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia will be explored by a parliamentary committee.

handed over to Tynwald in July argued current educational practices did "not meet the needs of students with learning differences".

MHKs Rob Callister and Ann Corlett, along with Dawn Kinnish MLC, were selected to consider the petition and report on the provision by May 2025.

Putting the petition forward in Tynwald, Callister said support for those with dyslexia had not improved in the last decade despite pledges by several previous ministers.

Those commitments had "failed to deliver the urgent support that parents, teachers, and individuals with dyslexia on the island have been advocating for", he added.

Education, Sport and Culture Minister Daphne Caine said her department's aim was to address barriers for all children and young people, and had recently provided accessible software to all schools.

Parents were regularly updated on the progress of their child and the department had committed to undertaking an additional educational needs review, she said.

The department was "committed to "making changes within the resources available", and committee members should "keep in mind" budget limitations, she added.

Kinnish said it was "time to manage" provisions and put some recommendations in place to help people "reach their full potential".

Paul Craine MLC noted the department had attempted to establish an additional educational needs code but was "unable to proceed" because of the need for funding.

While the committee was set to look at four related conditions, considering "broader, coherent additional needs provisions" would have been beneficial, he said.

"If we focus on some additional needs, "my concern is that some others get pushed to the background and do not get the same level of support", he argued.

Claire Christian MHK said the focus seemed to only be on schools, and further education settings should also be considered.

After the debate Julia Bell, who presented the petition at the open-air ceremony of Tynwald, said the group was "so pleased with the outcome" and she hoped the public could provide evidence to help the committee identify "what the barriers are".

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