Vol. 500 No. 2
87 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of representations which he has received in relation to the changes he has made in the examination correction of a child with communication difficulties such as dyslexia; the proportion of these representations which have been supportive of the changes he has made; and if he will reconsider his decision in this regard. [3616/99]
No change has been made in relation to how examiners mark the papers of candidates with a specific learning difficulty. The position is that the work of all candidates in any one subject is marked in accordance with a common marking scheme. This is to ensure that uniform and objective criteria are universally applied in the interest of fairness and equity and to ensure the validity of the certificate examinations as national instruments of assessment.
A change of an operational nature has been made which does not involve any change in how an examiner applies a marking scheme when marking examination material submitted by students with specific learning difficulties. Traditionally where a concern has been expressed regarding the readability of material, this has been brought to the attention of the individual examiner. However in the event of an examiner encountering difficulty in reading the script, the examiner is instructed to send the answerbook to his or her supervising examiner. This is to ensure that notwithstanding any presentational or readability difficulties every effort is made by the examiner or supervising examiner to ensure that the candidate is given full credit in accordance with the marking scheme for all work done at the examination.
This year my Department has moved to strengthen this arrangement by instructing all examiners who have a difficulty in accessing the information given by a candidate to refer the script to their supervising examiner. The intention is to ensure that problems with readability whether or not brought to the attention of the Department are dealt with by the examiner and that no candidate is disadvantaged. Every effort will continue to be made to ensure that full credit is given for work presented and in 1999 examiners will, as in previous years, be required to apply the agreed marking schemes consistently to all candidates in order to ensure equity and fairness.
Approximately 70 representations were addressed directly to me that related to the entire range of special arrangements for the 1999 examinations. My Department estimates that about 45 of those representations referred to the operational change that I have described. The representations appear to be based on the false premise that a change in the actual marking of work was involved.
88 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps, if any, he has taken to ensure that children with reading difficulties are assisted with their difficulty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3642/99]
The report of the special education review committee recommended in 1993 that remedial teaching should be made available on a phased basis to all pupils with reading difficulties, irrespective of age, ability or size or geographical location of the schools in which they are enrolled. At present 1,302 remedial teachers provide access to a remedial teaching service for some 91 per cent of children in national schools. There are still, however, 704 small national schools without a remedial service.
I have recently given a commitment that by September 1999 these remaining schools, other than those with PTR of less than 10:1, will have access to a remedial teaching service. Arrangements are now being put in place to enable this to be done. Schools with PTR of less than 10:1 may apply directly to my Department for a remedial teaching service giving details of their level of need. In addition, my Department provides in-career development courses for remedial teachers at six venues throughout the country. These courses are attended by some 150 remedial teachers each year.
