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State Examinations

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 May 2016

Tuesday, 17 May 2016

Ceisteanna (297)

Jonathan O'Brien

Ceist:

297. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills to change the policy under the reasonable accommodations scheme given the recent court decision on this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10119/16]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.

The Board of the SEC is currently undertaking a review of the operation of the RACE Scheme. As part of this review the SEC is considering the recent High Court Judicial Review findings referred to by the Deputy. Following the review the SEC will develop proposals and plans for any changes to the RACE Scheme it considers necessary.

Currently the SEC operates a Scheme of Reasonable Accommodations at the Leaving and Junior Certificate examinations for candidates with special needs in the examinations. The Scheme applies to candidates who have a physical or medical disability, including visual and hearing impairments, or a specific learning difficulty. All applications for reasonable accommodations are considered within a published Framework of Principles established by an Expert Advisory Group.

Reasonable accommodations are not intended to compensate for a possible lack of achievement arising from a disability or to compensate for difficulties arising from a candidate's general intellectual functioning. Reasonable accommodations are intended to:

(a) to remove, as far as possible, the impact of the disability on the candidate's performance and thus enable the candidate to demonstrate his or her level of attainment and

(b) to ensure that, whilst giving candidates every opportunity to demonstrate their level of attainment, the special arrangements will not give the candidate an unfair advantage over other candidates in the same examination. The range of accommodations includes, inter alia, provision of modified, brailled and enlarged papers for visually impaired students; access to readers, scribes, word-processor, tape or voice recorder for student with physical conditions or dyslexia or other types of SLD; exemptions from components of the examinations such as the oral or aural or the waiver from spelling and grammar in language subjects. Some students may apply for and be granted more than one type of accommodation.

In cases where a school/parent or student is dissatisfied with any aspect of the SEC's decision, they have access to an Independent Appeals Committee. All members of the Appeals Committee are drawn from outside the SEC. The remit of the Appeals Committee covers appeals against all elements of a decision taken by the SEC. Appeals must be lodged in writing and all appeals are considered in light of the Framework of Principles established by the Expert Advisory Group.

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