Vol. 525 No. 2
854 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give assurances to parents that students with learning difficulties whose exam certificates have annotations in relation to facilities such as the use of tapes and so on will not suffer any reduced value of such certificates in gaining access to third-level colleges. [24007/00]
Inclusiveness and transparency are core principles underpinning the leaving certificate examination. The examination was made more inclusive this year by allowing a student, depending on his or her special need to, in effect, obtain a waiver from an element of the examination in a subject. Drawing on best international practice this significant improvement was enabled by having an explanatory note accompany the grade.
I can assure the Deputy that in all such cases the grade awarded is a full and accurate reflection of the candidate's performance in the examination and the examination certificates issued by my Department will state that unequivocally.
This new measure enables a candidate to obtain maximum marks for the subject even though his or her special need precludes him or her from demonstrating attainment in core elements of the standard assessment. In other words the grade awarded which will subsequently be used to calculate points for third level admission purposes need no longer be based on some element of standard assessment that he or she would have difficulty with. While recognising the autonomy of third level institutions in relation to setting their admission policies the overall policy thrust is to ensure increased participation by those with special needs at third level and I fully expect this measure to assist in that regard. It is also consistent with the report of the commission on the points system which set out the need to facilitate in every way possible those with special needs both in terms of initial access to third level and thereafter in terms of their needs while at third level.
