Sir Jackie Stewart: I was millimetres from a life of violence

Published on Monday 1 November 2010 18:58

RACING legend Sir Jackie Stewart has admitted he was "millimetres" away from a life of crime because of crippling dyslexia which, even today, leaves him unable to fill in a drivers' licence application form.

• Former racing champion and Dyslexia Scotland president Sir Jackie Stewart at Edinburgh's Central Library launching Dyslexia Awareness Week Picture: Greg Macvean

The Formula One star, originally from Dumbarton, yesterday admitted he still struggles with the learning difficulty.

Speaking in Edinburgh's Central Library to launch Dyslexia Awareness Week as president of Dyslexia Scotland, Sir Jackie, 71, said: "Libraries are places I never entered, there was a Carnegie library in Dumbarton, but I would never have dared go in because it would have shown up that I couldn't read and I was so embarrassed not to be able to read or write or spell.

"I never joined the Cubs as I thought I would be found out to be dumb or stupid as happened at school."

However, he said he believed that the change in schools since his childhood had been "magnificent".

He said: "Scotland is a very good example to almost every other country in the world in the progress we have been able to make in the past three or four years."

Sir Jackie praised the current Scottish Government for bringing in new rules stipulating that every student teacher must learn about the condition - and for the Additional Support for Learning Act which ensures every child has a right to a diagnosis of any learning difficulty.

But he warned that implementation of the rules across Scotland varied widely from council to council.

"It's not being carried out as well as it could be," he said. "There are 32 local authorities in Scotland and there is no doubt some are better than others.

"It's an absolute scandal over the longer term if we don't help them - because if you can't read and write, you can become violent.

"I know - I was millimetres away from living that life when I was about 14. If there had been drugs around at that time I could easily have turned in that direction, but sport saved my life."

Sir Jackie will be at Saughton Prison in Edinburgh today, where he revealed he is a regular visitor to encourage inmates to take literacy lessons.

He said: "If they (the inmates] are taught to read and write when they are in prison, they leave with a much better chance of rejoining society in a positive fashion.Most of them before going through those improvements could not fill in even a job application form.

"Right now, I could not fill in a drivers' licence application form - it's like a jungle for me."

The sporting icon competed in Formula 1 between 1965 and 1973, winning three World Drivers' Championship titles, and 27 wins in 99 Grand Prix races.

Today he will speak to the Scottish Parliament's Cross Party Group on Dyslexia. He is also due to meet Education Secretary Michael Russell and Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.

Cathy Magee, chief executive of Dyslexia Scotland, said the charity had created a programme of events to highlight the costs to society when dyslexia is unidentified, unsupported or hidden.

Deidre Brock, culture and leisure convenor for Edinburgh Council, said: "It's so important to raise the profile of dyslexia and help our children and young people to overcome their personal challenges."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman added: "Support for children with additional education support needs will be further strengthened in a few weeks time when the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2009 comes into force."