Another battle has been won in Peter Luff’s long campaign for left-handed rights. That was the reaction of the Mid Worcestershire MP to the news that the Government’s new National Curriculum for primary and first schools will ensure left-handed pupils receive specific teaching to meet their needs.
Peter had successfully challenged the last government to ensure that left-handed children were taught properly by incorporating their special needs in teacher training.
Last month Peter wrote to the Department of Education seeking reassurance that the often overlooked needs of left-handed pupils would be included in the Government’s new national curriculum.
The Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb, confirmed in his response to Peter that,
“The government understands that left-handed pupils have particular needs. I can reassure you that in paragraph 38 of our draft Programmes of Study for the new primary National Curriculum, which included English, we have made it clear that teachers should ensure that left-handed pupils received specific teaching to meet those needs.”
In the draft National Curriculum document, which is available online, it states that teachers must,
“Make sure that left-handed pupils receive specific teaching to meet their needs.”
Commenting Peter said,
“Being left-handed myself I remember the difficulties I had when learning to write or just trying to cut paper shapes with right-handed scissors.
“There are easy techniques available to help children write properly and to ensure their left-handedness isn’t a problem in the classroom. Teachers must be trained to deal with these issues to ensure that left-handed children can learn properly – and the curriculum must ensure they are encouraged to practice what they have learned.
“I’m delighted that proper provision will be in place within primary and first schools to ensure the special requirements of left handed pupils are properly met. It doesn’t take much, but failure to do it can mean that young left-handed people never reach their full academic potential.”