Almost one in seven secondary school pupils gets extra help with their school leaving exams because they are dyslexic or have other problems, the AD said on Monday.

Thousands of pupils are given extra time to complete their exams, is allowed to use a computer or has the questions read to him or her, the paper said. In 2011, one in 10 pupils had help, but that has now risen to 14%, or 27,500 pupils, the paper said.

Education minister Sander Dekker is currently looking into the ease with which parents can have their child labelled officially dyslexia, following complaints that the rules are too lax.

Extra help with exams is also given to children who have difficulty with arithmetic and concentration as well as psychological problems.

Education professor Peter de Jong told the AD that an extremely large number of children get the special treatment. ‘An extra half hour can put a lot of children’s minds at ease, but where do you draw the line?’ he said.

Children attending vocational schools are twice as likely to get special treatment than those in pre-university streams, the AD said.