Meeting the standards ? dyslexic students and the selection process for initial teacher training.

Abstract

Teacher trainers in England and Wales are clearly instructed they must satisfy themselves that their trainees can reach the specified English literacy standards. This has led to a particular focus on dyslexic applicants and a questioning of their suitability for teaching. In 2003 the Disability Discrimination Act as applied to education also made it clear that disabled applicants (including those who are dyslexic) must not be discriminated against in the admissions process for teacher training. Initial teacher trainers must therefore satisfy requirements from both a standards and an inclusion agenda when considering the admission of dyslexic individuals to their training courses. The purpose of this questionnaire study was to look in detail at how initial teacher trainers perceived and responded to the demands of these two agendas in relation to their admissions process.