Hanafin throwing good money after bad

EDUCATION Minister Mary Hanafin’s proposed ‘special needs’ spending is a classic case of throwing good public money after bad where child dyslexics - mainly boys - are concerned.

Those youngsters become dyslexic because of use of inappropriate training methods by primary teachers.

Now, instead of the minister getting them to adopt appropriate training methods, she is giving colleagues of those teachers millions of public money to support dyslexics in their impaired state.

It is like using exchequer funds to pay people to feed youngsters defective foods and then to pay medics to prop up their health for life.

There is also a particular point related to the obligation to learn Irish. At present youngsters must be diagnosed by psychologists as dyslexic to be relieved of that obligation right through primary and secondary schooling, including the requirement to pass Irish for university entrance. The Hanafin scheme means that they may be so relieved at the discretion of school principals.

Joe Foyle

Sandford Road

Ranelagh

Dublin 6