Richard Bruton
Ceist:3 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the proportion of requests for special consideration in examinations rejected by his Department; and the criteria for rejection. [7264/00]
Ceisteanna – Questions. Priority Questions. - Special Educational Needs.
An application for special arrangements can request one or more of the arrangements from the range of special arrangements made by my Department for students with special needs. In some cases the request is modified through consultation between the Department and the school in the interests of working out what is best for the student concerned. For these reasons my Department only stores records of the actual arrangements ultimately made for students.
I assure the Deputy that the proportion of cases in which the request is refused is quite small. The best indicator of this is that while the number of applications for special arrangements has increased from just over 2000 in 1994 to more than 3000 in 1998, each year no more than 30 appeals are made to the special arrangements appeal group. This group exists to provide for an appeal in cases where a student is dissatisfied with some or all of the arrangements proposed.
Essentially, requests for special arrangements have been rejected where the granting of the arrangement sought would confer an unfair advantage on the individual candidate or compromise the integrity of examinations.
Is it not the case that figures have been issued under the Freedom of Information Act to suggest that around 500 pupils received special arrangements? Using the Minister's figure, does that not imply that more than 80% of applications for special arrangements are refused?
I have given the Deputy the number of appeals that take place. There may be cases where no appeals were made and there is no record of those applications. The number I gave is of cases where appeals have been made. There will be an improvement in special arrangements this year when, for the first time, each leaving certificate candidate will have the option of availing of up to 20 minutes extra time in the subjects of Irish, English, History and Geography. This year there will be an option for a special needs candidate to request a waiver of a component of the examination. By way of example, it will be possible for a special needs candidate not to do the oral component of a language examination, and not to be penalised in the marking.
Also for the first time this year, candidates' requests for special arrangements will be dealt with under a set of principles put in place following the independent expert review. In addition, this year an aggrieved candidate, or his or her parent, can appeal to an independent appeal group in the event of not being satisfied.
That sort of waffle is all very well, but I asked a simple question. I wanted to know how many were rejected. Is it not the case that the Minister allowed only 500 out of 130,000 pupils to have special arrangements? That suggests that special needs students comprise less than 0.5% of children. We know the extent of learning disability that requires special arrangements is far beyond that. Is it not the case that every application for special arrangements is accompanied by detailed submissions from the school principal and a psychologist, and that the Department is rejecting four out of every five of those applications?
I have given the Deputy the appeals information. I have also told him that new arrangements are being made for this year, which I am sure he will welcome. The Deputy tended to dismiss them as not being of great importance, but they are. It is a major step forward.
If the Minister does not know what is happening or what happened last year, I have very little faith in what will happen in the future.
More broadly based arrangements are being made to overcome some of the difficulties the Deputy has found or that were reported to him in the past. They will be available for everybody. That will clarify a number of the Deputy's questions.