Jim Higgins
Question:230 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 4 with a proven specific learning difficulty was not allowed special consideration in the Leaving Certificate Examination.
Written Answers. - Leaving Certificate Candidate.
Details of my Department's scheme of special consideration were set out in my reply to a question by Deputy Austin Currie on 13 May.
In the particular case referred to by the Deputy the position is that an application for special consideration on the grounds of a specific learning difficulty was made to my Department on 11 November 1992 by the school concerned. Samples of the candidate's written work and a report from a psychologist attached to the Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities accompanied the application.
The application was referred to my Department's psychological service for consideration. My Department's psychologist considered the psychological report and the samples of the written work. He noted that there is no evidence to indicate that the candidate concerned cannot read the questions. He also noted that the samples of the written work supplied were legible and understandable in spite of the spelling mistakes. He concluded that, while the candidate concerned has a specific learning difficulty, special consideration in the circumstances is not warranted.
This decision was communicated to the candidate's school on 7 May.