Remedial reading

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33189, 31 March 1973, Page 14

Remedial reading

Sir, —Recent correspondence on literacy has been noticeably in favour of specialist assistance in reading for certain pupils in the formative years of primary' school, yet further inquiry; suggests that the number!

■of schools receiving suchi j help may be very small.| > Would the Canterbury Educa-i ■ tion Board state the present' > allocation of working hours > available for the teaching of remedial reading in its district per week, and also ex- ' . plain the reasons behind the ' i withdrawal of such teachers' ’from a number of city t j schools?—Yours, etc., P. BUCHANAN. 1 February 27, 1973. [Mr D. Wilson, general I manager of the Canterbury i • Education Board, replies “Re- i > medial teaching in reading ; 1 and other subjects is an I j integral part of all school 1 programmes and improve- : . ments in school staffing ratios ; i greatly facilitate this. In ! some schools, additional fulltime staff has been provided to ensure adequate attention to children with special needs and in addition to this, i the staffs of 25 schools have been supplemented by part- ■ J time teachers usually each for JO hours weekly so that ;| special remedial programmes (may be mounted. From time > 1 to time, re-allocations of these teachers are made ■ according to the requests submitted by principals of ; schools for special assistance. A good example of this is t ;one school where, at the end ■(of this term, the part time teacher will be withdrawn in ■ favour of a full time ; teacher.”]