The Reading Clinic in Hamilton has received dual accreditation as both a tutor-training site and a tutoring facility.

Accreditation was approved by the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators which was incorporated under the New York State Education Law in 1995.

President of the Reading Clinic, Ann Dunstan, said that one of their immediate concerns was the finding in the recent Adult Literacy Survey that Bermuda had one of the "widest degrees of inequality" in the distribution of skills and literacy levels.

"This inequality means that some residents are highly literate while others are at the bottom of the scale," she said.

She said this inequality, which is an underlying cause of many of the problems currently faced in Bermuda, must be addressed if we are to overcome its negative consequences.

"We would like to emphasise the importance of the final recommendation in The Royal Gazette Editorial of May 20 'more effort needs to be dedicated to education and training, both in schools and in the adult world' and as one of the organisations in the community that can help to address this concern, The Reading Clinic remains committed to its goal of making literacy a reality for children and adults in Bermuda," she said.

The Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators had earned an international reputation as the leader in setting professional standards for the Orton-Gillingham approach to treating dyslexia.

Their credentials certify that the holders of accreditation by their organisation have met objective standards of excellence in education, experience and professionalism.