Inclusiveness and transparency are core principles underpinning the certificate examinations. Last year the examinations were made more inclusive by allowing a student, depending on his/her special need, have his/her result in a subject based upon all except some element of the examination in that subject. 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 state that unequivocally.
This new measure enables a candidate to obtain maximum marks for the subject even though his/her special need precludes him/her from demonstrating attainment in core elements of the standard assessment. As such it discriminates in favour of the special needs candidate by allowing him/her a waiver not available to candidates generally.
The change made last year aligns our examination system with best international practice where changes to standard assessment that arise as a result of granting the assistance of readers and scribes are enabled by including an explanatory note on the examination certificate. Furthermore, I wish to confirm that there are subjects where granting the assistance of a scribe or a tape recorder does not significantly alter the standard assessment and therefore the inclusion of an explanatory note is not necessary.
I can also assure the Deputy that the explanatory note, when included, does not make any reference to a candidate's disability or special need. It does no more than provide factual information on how the standard national assessment was modified to facilitate the candidate.
