Dyslexia and its effects on achievement in Thanet

Cllr. John Edwards (Dane Valley, Labour) invited Cllr. Michelle Fenner (Sir Moses Montefiore, Labour) whose professional work is in dyslexia and Cllr. Alan Poole (Deputy Leader of Labour Group) to a meeting at the Houses of Parliament with Kelvyn Hopkins MP and Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Dyslexia and Specific Learning Difficulties on 7th September.

James Watkins, Alan Poole, Michelle Fenner, Kelvyn Hopkins and John Edwards

The meeting concentrated on the great need for Thanet schools to be able to provide the necessary support for dyslexic students, in an area of high indices of socio-economic deprivation and higher than average level of unemployment particularly amongst young people.


Kelvin Hopkins agreed to raise with the Government the concerns of the Thanet Labour Party that the Conservative led Government were not implementing plans drawn up by the last Labour Government to help improve the education of dyslexic children across Thanet and the rest of the country through the provision and funding of support and addressing the shortage of trained specialist teachers.


Cllr. Fenner: “ I meet many dyslexic people through my professional work and through my Council work and I am keen to do anything I can to improve their chances in life. It was a positive first meeting, opening the channels of communication and paving the way to a greater understanding of what is happening on the ground.”