My dictionary defines Dyslexia as an 'impaired ability to read due to a disorder of the brain'.
These days, we are regularly told that a substantial proportion of our population is dyslexic but exactly what this is intended to cover seems rather vague. Is it that the sufferers cannot read or is it spelling that they have trouble with ? We even have references to some sort of numerical dyslexia added in, presumably so as not to disadvantage those who can read, write and spell but can't add up.
Let's be clear. Our educational system is pretty crap when it comes to teaching children to read, write and spell; it fails miserably when it comes to grammar and punctuation. It is equally poor at teaching the young any mathematical abilities, allowing them, instead, to rely on calculators and computers. Given this scenario, what better way to avoid having to blame teachers, schools and the whole educational system (and, by implication, the Government) for being pretty well useless than to widen the definitional scope of a highly subjective, pseudo-medical condition ?
No doubt, some people do suffer from dyslexia; whether it is any where near as many as are claimed is an entirely different matter. As a matter of interest, do other countries have similar rates of dyslexia recorded ? Are the French or Germans equally afflicted ? What about the Japanese and Chinese ? A brownie point for anyone who can answer the question.
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