Sorca Clarke
Question:67. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education what engagements she has had with the State Examinations Commission with regard to the oral examinations due to take place over the Easter break. [6202/24]
View answerTuesday, 13 February 2024
Questions (67)
Oral answers (6 contributions)
Many parents and teachers have raised with me very valid concerns about the oral examinations due to take place over the Easter break. Will the Minister outline what engagements she has had with the State Examinations Commission, SEC, on those oral examinations due to take place over the Easter break?
The State Examinations Commission is responsible for the operation, delivery and development of the State examinations. The SEC is very aware, as am I as Minister, of the challenges of the timing of the oral examinations for students, parents and education partners.
Prior to the pandemic, the oral examinations in any given year were held either before or after the Easter holidays, depending on how early or late Easter fell in that particular year. Following Covid, in 2022, the full oral examinations took place outside of school time over the first week of the Easter holidays. This change in timing was made in response to the need to take steps to limit teacher absences from schools given challenges associated with sourcing substitute teachers. It was intended also to minimise further disruption to teaching and learning in schools and, in particular, for those candidates preparing for their examinations.
The SEC was requested to undertake an evaluation of the 2022 experience of holding oral and music practical examinations at Easter to advise me on future implementation. That was at my request. Following preliminary review, the SEC advised that the arrangements that applied in 2022 in respect of oral examinations in Irish and the modern foreign languages should continue for a further year in 2023 pending a more comprehensive evaluation. In 2023, it was possible to deliver these examinations for all candidates within the Easter holiday period due to the positive response to the SEC’s recruitment efforts. I thank all the staff who engaged so positively with that recruitment process to ensure there was a sufficiency of examiners.
Nonetheless, the SEC has noted it is aware of the mixed views of stakeholders about the timing of these examinations. In that regard, the SEC progressed a more extensive evaluation to fully assess the impact of holding the oral examinations at Easter. This has included research to explore parent, student, teacher, examiner and school leadership opinions about the timing of these examinations. Following completion of this wider evaluation process, the SEC will provide advice to my Department on the future timing of the leaving certificate oral examinations going forward. In the interim, the SEC considered it preferable to extend the Easter holiday timing for a further year and to mirror the arrangements that applied in 2023 again in 2024. These arrangements include additional resources for school authorities and an Easter premium payable to examiners.
The Minister said there is the extra payment to examiners. I spoke to a principal of a school with three autism classes where five students are due to sit their leaving certificate this year. When that principal spoke to the SEC oral section to inquire as to what supports would be available for those students in terms of an SNA, the principal was told that nothing would be made available. When the principal pushed for a more definitive answer the principal was told, "Well, it depends on what is wrong with them." What an horrendous sentence to use for any child. When the principal asked if the SNA could go into the room, the reply was "Absolutely, yes", as was done in previous years. When she inquired as to additional remuneration that would be made available to the SNA she was told "Nothing". It was then suggested that she apply for two discretionary days but to use them at a later date. One of these students is already doing four languages. To ask a student to do four oral languages over two days, never mind a neurodivergent student, says to me a review is needed for fixing this system. This system is simply not working.
As I have said there is a review ongoing that is being undertaken by the SEC. This was at my request. I acknowledge the huge co-operation. A premium rate has been paid to examiners and there has been additional support provided to schools in days being made available to them to support their work at that time. I acknowledge what the Deputy said that there are mixed views on the timing of it. The SEC has done an interim review and has agreed to do a more comprehensive review, which is under way at present. When that is completed, we will review the information that has been gathered. I have no doubt the SEC will revert with its findings following that review.
By arranging the exams in the first week of the Easter holidays, it does provide that examiners, candidates and school staff have a consecutive ten-day break from school after the examinations have been completed. It is important to say that, in line with traditional arrangements, candidates who miss their oral examination due to illness or close family bereavement will be facilitated with a later examination the week commencing 18 May. There is an ongoing flexibility there.
What can be put in place this year for the students with special educational needs to receive the necessary accommodations for the oral exams? It seems to me that instead of creating a system that tailors oral examinations to meet the needs of students and actually caters towards their need regardless of their educational ability, this scheme does the exact opposite.
When I asked a question of the Department I received a four page response, of which only five lines were applicable. One point about exemptions from the oral tests and if support arrangements are unsuitable stood out to me. It referred to cases such as a disability that significantly impairs a candidate's ability to speak. This says to me that these students with special educational needs are being punished because of the lack of resources that are going to be put in for that. We spoke about the RACE scheme - reasonable accommodations at State examinations - needing to be more equitable in that way, which is right. This current approach, however, is discriminatory and exclusionary. We have students who are willing and able and who want to take these oral exams but who, because of the lack of supports tailored to their needs, are simply not going to be able to do it.
To be fair, the State Examinations Commission's interim report very clearly identified the requirement for additional support being made available to schools to support students for whatever their need might be, from a well-being point of view to additional supports that might be required. As a consequence of that, in this school year school authorities are being provided with five additional examination aide days. The school authorities can appoint a member of staff specifically to provide any type of support that is required to candidates to ensure their attendance and that things are working for them as we would want them to work. This will be separate to the examination aide days provided to facilitate operational and administrative duties associated with the oral exam. The SEC has recommended, and it is being provided for, that there will be an examination aide provided for just the operation and administration of the oral exams but they will specifically provide five additional days to be used in whatever way the school deems fit to support students at that time.