Alexander Faludy
Encyclopedia
Alexander Faludy an English
student, is a former child prodigy
who in 1998 became the youngest undergraduate at the University of Cambridge since 1773.
, in 1995 Faludy gained a scholarship
to Milton Abbey School, a boarding school
in Dorset
where one third of the children are dyslexic, after being bullied at his county school in Portsmouth.
In 1996, with his mother, he published A Little Edge of Darkness, telling how at the age of nine he was the youngest person ever to pass the English Literature GCSE
and at the age of eleven the youngest to pass an A-level
, despite suffering from severe dyslexia
.
In August 1998, Faludy's parents lost a battle in the High Court of Justice
which sought to force Portsmouth City Council to assess their son for special educational needs. However, the council announced it would help him financially through its Student Awards system, with money for books and specialist equipment and with a disability student award grant to pay for a personal helper. The case was said to be "based on a deep misunderstanding of which grants disabled students can access".
In October 1998, when he joined Peterhouse at the age of 15 years and 7 months, Faludy became the youngest undergraduate at the University of Cambridge
since the arrival there of William Pitt the Younger
in 1773. He was reported to have all the books he needed read for him on audiotape and to dictate his essays. When admitted to Cambridge, he could write only two illegible words a minute and also suffered from dyspraxia
.
In 1999, TES reported that Faludy "can barely write his name or peel a banana but can expound at length on the rationalist
argument for God
". In 2000, while studying art history
and theology
at Peterhouse, Faludy received a prize of £100 as best arts journalist in the Cambridge Student Journalism Awards.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
student, is a former child prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
who in 1998 became the youngest undergraduate at the University of Cambridge since 1773.
Life
The son of two teachers from PortsmouthPortsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, in 1995 Faludy gained a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to Milton Abbey School, a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
where one third of the children are dyslexic, after being bullied at his county school in Portsmouth.
In 1996, with his mother, he published A Little Edge of Darkness, telling how at the age of nine he was the youngest person ever to pass the English Literature GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
and at the age of eleven the youngest to pass an A-level
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
, despite suffering from severe dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
.
In August 1998, Faludy's parents lost a battle in the High Court of Justice
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
which sought to force Portsmouth City Council to assess their son for special educational needs. However, the council announced it would help him financially through its Student Awards system, with money for books and specialist equipment and with a disability student award grant to pay for a personal helper. The case was said to be "based on a deep misunderstanding of which grants disabled students can access".
In October 1998, when he joined Peterhouse at the age of 15 years and 7 months, Faludy became the youngest undergraduate at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
since the arrival there of William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
in 1773. He was reported to have all the books he needed read for him on audiotape and to dictate his essays. When admitted to Cambridge, he could write only two illegible words a minute and also suffered from dyspraxia
Dyspraxia
Developmental dyspraxia is a motor learning difficulty that can affect planning of movements and co-ordination as a result of brain messages not being accurately transmitted to the body...
.
In 1999, TES reported that Faludy "can barely write his name or peel a banana but can expound at length on the rationalist
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
argument for God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
". In 2000, while studying art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
and theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at Peterhouse, Faludy received a prize of £100 as best arts journalist in the Cambridge Student Journalism Awards.