Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 May 2000

Vol. 519 No. 5

Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.

Phil Hogan

Question:

319 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that examiners will be identifying children with special needs with an asterisk when they sit forthcoming State examinations; his views on whether this identification is discriminatory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14114/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods):

The report and recommendations of the expert advisory group on certificate examinations in relation to the arrangements for the assessment of candidates with special needs in certificate examinations was published recently. This followed lengthy consultation and consideration by the group of this complex and difficult area.

The group recognised that there are cases where many of the elements of a subject that are marked in the examination are accessible to a student but some, because of a particular difficulty the student has, are not. An example is the aural component of a language subject that may not be accessible to a student with a hearing impairment. The group pointed out that it is reasonable that the student sit for examination in the components of the subject in which achievement was possible and that he-she be exempted from the specific and identifiable component. What this means is that the national standard for assessment should be modified to accommodate the student and this modification is enabled by including an explanatory note with the results.

These measures make the examination system more flexible and responsive to the needs of students who would otherwise have difficulty with some examination subjects because of their special needs. This represents a significant advance in the inclusiveness of the examination system.

I want to assure the Deputy that in implementing these measures my Department will of course confine any explanatory note to the assessment issue in the subject or subjects concerned. There will be no reference to the special needs of the candidate. The note will explain only how the standard national assessment was modified.