Jamie Oliver: 'Our education system is failing dyslexic and neurodiverse kids – they're slipping through the cracks'
"We need to recognise that dyslexic brains just think and express their learning in a different way."
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
It’s no secret that I didn’t do very well at school. I found reading and writing difficult (I was 38 when I finally read my first novel). I felt misunderstood and, quite frankly, dumb. While making my documentary on dyslexia, I had to face those corrosive feelings and return to the classroom – that’s where change urgently needs to happen. I talked to pupils, parents and teachers and was blown away by how many reached out to share their experiences. Never before in my 25 years in the public eye have I received such emotional and overwhelming responses.
That’s because dyslexia is a big deal and it cuts deep, with at least ten million dyslexic people in the UK right now. What came through in nearly all the stories shared is that our school days are foundational in how we feel about ourselves, our place in the world and our future opportunities.
I was a disengaged pupil but, growing up in a pub and being surrounded by food on a daily basis, I found cooking at a very young age. I had something I was good at, something that built my self-esteem when school – which I left with just two GCSEs – was eroding it. I was one of the lucky ones. If I didn’t have cooking, who knows where I’d have ended up.
It wasn’t my teachers that were the problem, but our education system. It’s simply not built to support dyslexia or neurodiversity, which together represent a whopping 25 per cent of every classroom. That’s why this issue is so important to me. It’s this 25 per cent of kids that slip through the cracks.
In my day (the 1980s), I was removed from class to go to “special needs”, which is now referred to as Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). I’m not a fan of this title, either, particularly when it comes to building young people’s self-esteem. There’s certainly nothing special about excluding a quarter of kids in every classroom.
Children with SEND, including dyslexia, are three times as likely to be suspended from school, nearly twice as likely to be persistently absent from school, and three times as likely to be “Not in Employment, Education or Training” at 16–17. It gets worse. Dyslexic people make up around 55 per cent of the prison population. That’s as heartbreaking as it is expensive and, in my humble opinion, when you hear people’s stories of struggle, bullying and being constantly misunderstood, it feels largely avoidable.
We need change. We need to recognise that dyslexic brains just think and express their learning in a different way. Embracing that will be a game-changer for our kids with dyslexia, but studies show the whole class thrives in an inclusive classroom. It’s better for everyone.
I genuinely believe this problem is an opportunity for a cleverer, happier, more productive Britain, which in turn could also mean we’re more efficient, buoyant, profitable and sustain-able. Better GDP as well, I reckon – ask an economist, I’m sure they’ll prove me right, because wasted potential is expensive.
Our education system needs to be fundamentally reimagined. If it only works for some kids, it’s broken. I’ve called on Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson to introduce two key actions that would kickstart quick change, both of which are possible.
By entering your details you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Currently, 80 per cent of kids with dyslexia leave school undiagnosed. It’s vital we have national screening for all kids, ideally within the first two years of school. Spotting the signs early means we can be proactive. Learning differences don’t follow a linear path, so there should be multiple opportunities to identify when a child is struggling.
Teachers are already under so much pressure, yet every single teacher I’ve spoken to wants to support all kids. Let’s equip them with the skills and knowledge they’re passionately asking for. They need mandatory up-to-date, dyslexia- and neurodiversity-friendly teacher training, at the outset of their career, but also later, with ongoing development. These are practical, useful changes that would make such a big difference to the way our kids learn at school, to the way they feel about themselves, and to their future prospects.
As a teenager, I checked out of school. I was physically there, but my mind was running away. I realised while making this film I was running away from words, from reading and writing.
I don’t want another child to do that. Please watch my documentary and demand a fairer future for every kid. Let’s make sure no child is left behind.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.
Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution airs on Channel 4 at 9pm.
Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
