Dumbarton's Sir Jackie Stewart goes back to school

Jul 3 2009 by Amanda McKendrick, Lennox Herald (main ed)

RACING legend Sir Jackie Stewart went back to the classroom and learned about the latest techniques to help children read and write.

The Milton-born champion, who was diagnosed with dyslexia at 42, visited Knoxland Primary and his former school Dumbarton Academy as part of a whirlwind tour to celebrate being made a Freeman of West Dunbartonshire.

Sir Jackie, a former pupil of Milton Primary School which closed in 2004 with children transferred to Knoxland, spent the morning with the school’s Primary 1 class and took part in a jolly phonics lesson, a technique used by West Dunbartonshire’s education department to help children to read and write.

Now President of Dyslexia Scotland, he told the class: “When I went to school I had something called dyslexia which means I wasn’t able to read or write. I never learned my alphabet and even now I can’t recite it but you are all very lucky, you have a good teacher.”

The children then presented Sir Jackie with a card to mark his 70th birthday.

Knoxland head teacher Avril Davie said it was great honour to have the motor racing champion visit the school, which received the Jackie Stewart Dyslexia Friendly Award in 2005.

She added: “The children have been very excited. It’s great for the children because they know Sir Jackie had difficulty with reading and writing and yet went on to lead a very successful life. Hopefully that will give our pupils confidence and encourage them.”