Vol. 464 No. 3
89 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Education whether students with Down's Syndrome will be given the same concessions for examinations as other students with a disability in view of her Department's circular which deals with special arrangements for examination candidates with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8063/96]
My Department has for many years made special arrangements in the certificate examinations for candidates who would have difficulty in communicating what they know to an examiner because of a physical disability, including visual and hearing impairments, or a specific learning difficulty. The special arrangements are intended to remove, as far as possible, the impact of the disability on the candidate's performance and thus enable the candidate to demonstrate his or her level of attainment. They are also intended to ensure that, whilst giving candidates every opportunity to demonstrate their level of attainment, the special arrangements will not give the candidate an unfair advantage over other candidates in the same examination.
Special arrangements are not in general approved in the case of pupils who are assessed as being slow learners or as being mentally handicapped where the learning difficulties of such pupils arise solely from their level of general intellectual ability and are not due to specific difficulties in reading or in writing. Applications for special examination arrangements in respect of students with Down's Syndrome are considered on their merits and within the terms of the scheme.
A school which is not satisfied with my Department's decision regarding special arrangements may appeal to the special arrangements appeals committee. This is an independent body of five persons, consisting of two officers of my Department and three members from outside my Department, including the chairperson. The Department's personnel will not have been involved in making the decision on the original application.
