Outraged north-east parents are preparing to take their protest against a decision to axe two dedicated school dyslexia units to the Scottish Government.
Aberdeenshire Council’s education committee agreed to close both bases – at Kellands School in Inverurie and Crimond School near Fraserburgh – in August.
The decision prompted a massive outcry from parents of children with severe dyslexia who said they had seen “huge” improvements to their youngsters’ reading and learning abilities since they had been attending the centres.
Yesterday, Inverurie man Graham Ellis – whose son went to the Kellands dyslexia unit – said he and 11 other families in the town were drafting appeal letters to the Scottish Government against the decision.
The centres, which are due to shut in December, are the only two of their kind in the north-east and have been in place for 26 years.
Currently dyslexic pupils attend the units for specialist support for classes which require a lot of reading, but enjoy breaks and other lessons with the rest of their schoolmates.
Mr Ellis said teachers would struggle to address the needs of a child with severe dyslexia whilst dealing with a class of between 30 and 40 pupils.
He said: “It is frustrating in the extreme. They haven’t taken into consideration severe dyslexia.
“If it wasn’t for the fact that we have seen our kids going from really struggling to being able to cope with life in general – to being confident, capable kids, there wouldn’t be the same outcry.
“Our kids were getting a huge amount of support at the schools. I wouldn’t say they are over it – you are never over dyslexia – but their education has come on in leaps and bounds.
“One out of 10 kids have dyslexia and of that one in three have severe dyslexia. I can’t really see the school teachers being able to put the effort into that one child when they have got 40 other kids to look after.”
Aberdeenshire Council said it was unable to comment while the appeal period was open, but a statement on the local authority’s website said: “At its meeting of the education, learning and leisure committee on Thursday, August 27, Aberdeenshire Council made the decision to close the dyslexia units at Crimond and Kellands Schools.”
Inverurie councillor Bryan Stuart said the council’s education department had told the Garioch area committee that school teachers at Kellands could cater for pupils with different severities of dyslexia.
He added: “When it came to area committee, we were given very strong assurances about the level of care being provided. Parents need to be satisfied they will be delivered.
“Whatever the parents feel they need to do is entirely at their discretion and they should do it.
“The best gauge of the services they are getting is really the parents. I do sympathise with them.”
No new children with dyslexia are being accepted into the centres at present, though they are still open for current users.
People have until Wednesday, September 16 to appeal against the council’s decision.
Representations to Scottish Ministers can be made by e-mail to schoolclosure@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or by post to the Scottish Government, School Infrastructure Unit, 2A (South), Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ.