Latest news with #learningdifficulties
Irish Times
a day ago
- General
- Irish Times
Leaving Cert 2025: Record numbers to sit State exams
A record-breaking 140,000 students will begin their Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle exams today. It means the delivery of this year's State exams is an even bigger logistical exercise than ever before, involving the secure distribution of about four million exam papers to hundreds of second-level schools and other settings across the State. A combination of factors is behind the record numbers, including a demographic bubble of young people at second level and greater numbers staying on in school to complete their exams. The number entered to take the 2025 exams is up by 3 per cent (+4,297) on last year's entry figure of 136,160 candidates. The most significant increases are in the numbers entered for the Leaving Cert (+5 per cent) and Leaving Cert Applied programme (+11 per cent). READ MORE The volume of students in receipt of additional supports has also climbed to a new high. [ Classroom to college: our essential Leaving Cert guide for parents, guardians and students ] While exams will take place in more than 5,800 sports halls and other large settings, there are almost 10,000 smaller settings this year, known as 'special examination centres'. These are aimed at students with additional needs or who may suffer from anxiety. Most education experts put the bulk of these increases down to greater awareness of learning difficulties, more access to expert advice and a broader definition of some developmental conditions. This year's exams will run until Tuesday, June 24th for Leaving Cert and Monday, June 16th for Junior Cycle exams. Once the Leaving Cert exams are marked, the State Examination Commission (SEC) will apply a 'postmarking adjustment' to students' papers. This follows a direction from the Department of Education to implement a 'gradual return to normal Leaving Cert outcomes', beginning this year. Grades soared during the pandemic when teacher-predicted grades were introduced and marks have been artificially inflated since 2021 to keep them at 7 per cent, on aggregate, in advance of pre-Covid grades. This year, the SEC will apply a postmarking adjustment to bring overall Leaving Cert results in the aggregate to a point broadly midway between the 2020 and 2021 levels, or about 5.5 per cent above pre-Covid grades. The move has sparked some controversy on the basis that it means the class of 2025 will be competing against an estimated 10,000-15,000 students from previous years with bumper grades for college places. Minister for Education Helen McEntee has defended the move on the basis that a very gradual pace of returning to normal will minimise the impact on students as far as possible. Universities have also complained that inflated grades risk undermining the integrity of results and make it difficult to differentiate between top candidates for high-points courses. The SEC, meanwhile, intends to issue this year's Leaving Cert exam results to candidates on Friday, August 22nd, which is in line with the date of issue of the results last year, but later than pre-Covid times. The SEC said developing and applying the postmarking adjustment adds time to the results process in comparison to normal years. 'The results issue date of Friday, 22 August, takes account of the time needed for this additional step. The timeline for results must also allow sufficient time for an extensive range of quality assurance checks to be undertaken,' it said.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Jamie Oliver emotionally reveals his dyslexia made him feel 'worthless and stupid' at school as he discusses lack of support in new documentary
Jamie Oliver has opened up about the emotional toll of struggling with dyslexia when he was growing up, revealing it made him feel 'stupid'. The celebrity chef, 50, has reflected on his own experience with dyslexia in a new hour-long Channel 4 special, titled Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution. Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that causes problems with reading, writing and spelling and difficulties with processing. Ahead of his documentary's release, Jamie recalled being branded a 'stupid dunce' at school and said his learning issues left him feeling 'worthless, stupid and thick'. He told The Sunday Times: 'I'm unpacking quite a lot of stuff and I'm oversharing with you because I've got to f***ing work this s**t out, I thought I'd buried it but it's hitting a nerve. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'I didn't have any extra time in exams, there were no strategies, just a bit of extra tutoring help,' he revealed. 'There was no robust dyslexic knowledge then.' The Essex-born chef, now a household name thanks to The Naked Chef, said the kitchen 'saved' him and gave him purpose when the classroom let him down. He added: 'I didn't tell mum, dad or the teachers. I just bottled it up inside. The kitchen saved me. I knew I had something to offer. I knew I wasn't a useless piece of s***.' The NHS says dyslexia affects up to one in ten Brits, often causing trouble with reading, writing and spelling. But many, like Jamie, excel in other areas such as problem-solving and creativity. Jamie is using his platform to call for urgent changes in schools, including early dyslexia screening and more teacher training in neurodiversity. He said: 'I've only got love for teachers, we need to appreciate them more. But they want to be trained, they want to have the tools to notice, understand and react.' His hard-hitting documentary, airing soon on Channel 4, will question whether the UK education system is doing enough to support children with dyslexia - and if not, what needs to change. Jamie has already met with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and says this campaign is even tougher than his famous fight for healthier school dinners. The Essex-born chef, now a household name thanks to The Naked Chef and Jamie's Kitchen, said the kitchen 'saved' him and gave him purpose when the classroom let him down (pictured in 2010) 'Not acknowledging or allowing a six, seven or eight-year-old to express their intelligence… that's kind of child abuse,' he said. 'This is heavy, because neurodivergent kids are falling between the cracks. They end up resenting education, which leads to anger, frustration, poor health, crime, prison and all the horrible things you don't want to think about. He added: 'I ran from school thinking, 'F*** you,' but I was lucky because I had the kitchen.' Tim Hancock, commissioning editor at Channel 4, said: 'There's no more effective campaigner than Jamie, and now he's turning his expertise to a subject close to his heart. 'I'm thrilled Channel 4 is following him back on the campaign trail. Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. It can affect individuals of all intelligence levels and can result in poor or inconsistent spelling and writing - along with potential struggles following directions or being organised.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Specialist college approved by city council
Plans for a new specialist college in Nottingham for people with learning difficulties have been college, on the corner of Mansfield Road and Church Drive in Carrington, will offer courses on English, maths and life skills for young adults aged from 18 to 24.A planning application for Landmarks Specialist College was approved by Nottingham City Council on site was previously used as a health clinic by Harley Medical Group, featuring treatment rooms and a reception area. The Local Democracy Reporting Service said a maximum of 40 students would be enrolled, with each attending two or three days a to planning documents, the college would be open between 08:30 and 17:00 for staff, with students arriving from 09:00 and staying until 15: state it will have nine parking spaces and one disabled space within a secure gated site.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Ganton special school in Hull plans extension to boost places
A Hull school that caters for children with severe and complex learning difficulties has submitted plans for a new School, which offers education to children between the ages of two and 19, is looking to build a single-storey extension at its site on Anlaby Park Road approved by Hull City Council, the facility would provide new classrooms for up to 25 teacher Alec Young said the project would help to address the demand for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the city. He said: "There are more children in the school-age population in Hull who require specialist support than there is currently capacity for."All special schools in the city are currently oversubscribed and, despite increases, there is still a need for more specialist places to be available for the most complex pupils."Ganton School, which is part of the Humber Education Trust, was first established in 1978 before moving to its current location in 2011. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Jordan Times
08-05-2025
- Science
- Jordan Times
Princess Sarvath Inaugurates conference on learning difficulties, announces key educational initiatives
Under the patronage of HRH Princess Sarvath El Hassan, with HRH Prince El Hassan in attendance, the second International Scientific Conference on Learning Difficulties: 'Current Challenges and Future Prospects' was inaugurated on Wednesday (Petra photo) AMMAN — Under the patronage of HRH Princess Sarvath El Hassan, with HRH Prince El Hassan in attendance, the second International Scientific Conference on Learning Difficulties: 'Current Challenges and Future Prospects' was inaugurated on Wednesday, with the participation of experts and researchers from Jordan and the Arab world. The event was organised by Princess Sarvath Community College's (PSCC) National Centre for Learning Difficulties. In her opening speech, Her Royal Highness highlighted the centre's key achievements, including the training of more than 1,500 teachers in coordination with the Ministry of Education and the diagnosis of over 11,500 students with learning difficulties using the latest diagnostic tools and assessment tests since the Centre's establishment in 1992, according to a statement from PSCC. She also announced the launch of the Arabic version of the WISC-5 (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fifth Edition), the statement said, adding , 'This version has been adapted and standardized for the Jordanian context and the Ministry of Education curricula, under license and exclusive rights from the publisher (Pearson) to the college. The Princess also announced the release of a new assessment tool designed to evaluate learning difficulties in the English language, 'the first of its kind in Jordan and the region.' The centre had previously issued diagnostic tools for Arabic language and mathematics. The conference saw the signing of an agreement and memorandum of understanding between PSCC and the Sharjah Centre for Learning Difficulties to jointly develop Arabic language and mathematics assessment tools tailored to the curricula of the United Arab Emirates, according to the statement. The conference produced a number of scientific and practical recommendations, focusing on the importance of enhancing the training of specialized teachers and diagnostic experts in alignment with the Economic Modernisation Vision and the Ten-Year Inclusion Education Plan launched by the Ministry of Education, aimed at ensuring a fair and diverse educational environment.
