Just in case you didn't see this, I reproduced it from the Sunday Times web
site.
Richard.
> _____________________________________________
>
> February 28 1999
>
> Students claim dyslexia to get more in grants
>
> by Judith O'Reilly
> Education Correspondent
>
>
> UNIVERSITIES are being warned of students who may con their way into
> receiving disability benefits and cheat in examinations by claiming
> they are dyslexic. Students can claim thousands of pounds in grants to
> buy computers and voice-activated software or spelling packages if
> they are assessed as dyslexic and can claim cash to go on extra
> courses.
>
> In examinations, dyslexic candidates can get concessions of an extra
> 15 minutes for every hour a paper is supposed to take, as well as
> having any poor spelling or flaws in their essay construction
> attributed to the disability.
>
> A report by the national working party on dyslexia has found that
> universities and colleges do not have a consistent test for the
> disorder and warns them to tighten their checks on claimants.
>
> "Higher education institutes are under a public duty to ensure,
> insofar as they are able, that requests for public funds made with
> their authority are both genuine and justified," it says.
>
> It is also "essential" that students do not gain unfair advantages in
> examinations.
>
> Numbers of dyslexic students have climbed from 200 in 1981 to more
> than 13,000 now. Students have to go through a screening process
> before they qualify for disabled student's allowance (DSA), but there
> is concern that some are getting awards without any justification.
>
> This is reinforced by figures that show wide variations between
> universities in the proportion of students assessed as dyslexic,
> ranging from under 1% to 3%.
>
> Chris Singleton, of Hull University and the author of the report,
> said: "Unless you have clear diagnostic procedures and tests, there is
> a danger that some individuals can play the system."
>
> At Leeds University one student who had been assessed as having mild
> dyslexia admitted last week that he took the extra benefits because
> they were available.
>
> He said: "I get extra marks and time in exams and I have applied for a
> grant for a computer. I am getting a photocopying allowance and a book
> allowance. I am quite clever though and I could get through university
> without any help and probably get a good degree."
>
> Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at Kent University, believes some
> schools encourage children to believe they are dyslexic.
>
> "It's now cool to be disabled," he said. "It's not the kids' fault -
> they are almost being encouraged by the system to say they have
> special needs when maybe they are just slow learners or lazy."
>
> Copyright 1999 Times Newspapers Ltd. This service is provided on Times
> Newspapers' standard terms and conditions. To inquire about a licence
> to reproduce material from The Sunday Times, visit the Syndication
> website.
>
> Richard Edwards,
> Special Needs Officer,
> Department of Planning and Marketing,
> University of Wales Swansea,
> Singleton Park,
> Swansea SA2 8PP.
>
> Tel: 01792 295336
> Minicom/Text: 01792 295089
> Fax: 01792 295336
> Mobile: 07801 13 63 63
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
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