Support for dyslexic students at Colchester Institute has been cut despite a growing need and laws requiring appropriate assistance, it has been claimed.

Natfhe, the university and college lecturers' union, said the institute had recently made redundant two specialist tutors who provided intensive support for students with dyslexia.

But the college has rejected the allegations saying it will be supporting more students comprehensively.

Natfhe is worried the quality of education could drop because of a reduction in specialist support for students with disabilities.

Elizabeth Martins, the union's London and Anglia regional official, said: "There is an ironic contrast between the excellence of many courses and the college's reduction of support for students with learning difficulties such as dyslexia."

She said the college had replaced an excellent learning support service with an inappropriate system, which could fail students with dyslexia.

She said that teaching staff were said to be keen to satisfy the special learning needs of students, but no longer had specialist support.

Another union spokesman said: "The college had also failed to provide the necessary training for all academic staff on how best to serve students with disabilities.

"With overall workloads spiralling, this is not the way to provide the kind of service the Government is seeking."

But a spokesman for the institute said it had improved its additional support activity - based within student services - to support more students more comprehensively during 2002/03.

"The fact is that an appropriately confidential, personal, professional and Colchester Institute-based service is available, 2002/03, for any students diagnosed as dyslexic."

Published Thursday October 31, 2002

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