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Dyslexia training cash offered to teachers

Schools are being urged to take up Government-funded specialist training in dyslexia for teachers in a new charity campaign.

The See the Difference campaign, launched by the Dyslexia and Special Learning Difficulties Trust last Friday, aims to raise awareness of the training available for 4,000 teachers, which will equip them with specialist skills to help identify dyslexia and associated learning problems.

According to the campaign, schools are failing to identify two-thirds of dyslexic children. It says that 55 per cent of children who are failing SATs have features of dyslexia or associated special learning difficulties, and that the failure rate is 100 per cent for children from deprived areas who have learning difficulties related to dyslexia.

Dr John Rack, director of the Dyslexia and SPLD Trust, said that £10m had been provided to give teachers specialist training. 'This money is only available for a limited time. The deadline for teachers wanting to enrol on a Government funded course is March 2011,' he said.