Sorca Clarke
Ceist:80. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education if her Department will carry out a full review of the reasonable accommodations at certificate examinations scheme. [31619/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 29 June 2023
Ceisteanna (80)
Freagraí ó Béal (7 píosaí cainte)
Will the Minister please carry out a review of the reasonable accommodations at certificate examination level? I asked her Department on 16 May what the qualifying criteria for the scheme were and the question was referred to the State Examinations Commission, SEC, for reply. To date, no reply has been received and there is growing concern about the accessibility of this scheme.
As the Deputy has articulated, the SEC has specific responsibility for the operation, delivery and development of the State examinations. As part of its remit, the SEC provides the scheme of reasonable accommodations, which is known as the RACE scheme. This scheme facilitates access to the State exams by candidates who would have difficulty in accessing the exams or communicating what they know because of a physical difficulty, visual or hearing impairments or a learning difficulty. A physical difficulty could include medical, sensory, behavioural or mental health difficulties.
The SEC advises that the focus of the RACE scheme is on the need to remove barriers to accessing the examinations while retaining the need to assess the same underlying skills and competencies as are assessed for all other candidates and applying the same standards of achievement as apply to all other candidates. A central tenet of the RACE scheme is to ensure equitable treatment for all candidates. The range of accommodations provided under the scheme has been designed to ensure fairness for all when facilitating candidates in demonstrating their level of achievement. The RACE scheme is operated by the SEC within the context of the annually issued RACE Instructions for Schools, which is the handbook on RACE. All applications for reasonable accommodations are considered within a published framework of principles.
The SEC has advised that, in 2022, almost 25,000 candidates, or 19% of the total candidates, were provided with 30,000 individual accommodations under the RACE scheme. This is an increase over 2019, when 20,000 candidates, or 17% of the total, were provided with accommodation.
From the 2016 to 2017 school year, the RACE scheme underwent fundamental reform. The reform focused on a number of areas and intended to ensure greater integration of the RACE scheme with overall Department of Education special educational needs policy, to enable greater access to the scheme, and to allow greater autonomy to schools and certainty to students about the examination supports available to them. These candidate-centred changes were informed by engagement with stakeholders. This included representatives of students, including those with special educational needs, such as the Dyslexia Association of Ireland, the Special Needs Parents Association, school management and leadership bodies, Government agencies, including the National Council for Special Education and the National Disability Authority, and statutory bodies.
The RACE scheme continues to be subject to a process of ongoing review and improvement by the SEC. For example, recent enhancements to the scheme include the introduction of deferred examinations, within the policy context of the scheme, for leaving certificate candidates who miss their examinations in the main sitting due to close family bereavement, serious accident, illness or injury. A number of specific initiatives were introduced in 2023 for candidates with visual impairments.
In addition to the fundamental reform for the 2016 to 2017 school year, and the ongoing process of review and improvement, the scheme will be subject to further review by the SEC in the context of reform of the senior cycle. One of the key priorities will be increasing the use of assistive technology to enhance access and integrity and to further support independent learning. In this regard, I am assured the SEC intends that there will be extensive consultation and engagement with all relevant stakeholders.
I thank the Minister. I am sure the stakeholders will be happy to hear that. However, I feel the need to raise the current issues. The framework of principles for the reasonable accommodations scheme, which the Minister mentioned, states they are designed to assist a candidate in demonstrating their achievements in an exam setting. The Minister is correct that demand for the scheme has increased every year for the past decade, likely due to a greater understanding of additional needs.
The Minister spoke about fairness. The National Council for the Blind of Ireland, NCBI, recently told the joint committee on education that there is no consistency and confusion regarding accommodation for students with visual impairment. One student can get something while another cannot and there is no logic or rationale as to why that decision has been made. The Joint Committee on Disability Matters recently heard from a student who sat her junior certificate examinations last year. She knew she was entitled to a scribe, a special centre and extra time. Unfortunately, it was later that she found out she was also entitled to the same rest break between exams as her peers. She said the reasonable accommodations scheme is a one-size-fits-all approach and the needs of individual students are not acknowledged. Despite the most common form of accommodation provided relating to spelling and grammar, followed by reading assistance, there remains no entitlement to extra time for students with dyslexia who have problems processing information and retaining it via the short-term memory.
The Minister mentioned that the scheme is under constant review. I ask her to publish the most recent review of the scheme in order that stakeholders can be aware of where the current situation is at and where they will be making requests of the SEC at a future date.
I thank the Deputy. She is correct. I agree there is enormous importance attached to the RACE scheme. I understand the most recent full review was carried out in 2016-2017. In the interim, there have also been amendments, particularly for candidates who present as visually impaired.
Also, schools have devolved authority to recommend to the SEC the supports available within the RACE scheme that should be put in place in the junior cycle and at leaving certificate level. The SEC, in general, accepts the recommendation of the school.
Accommodations granted at junior cycle can also be reactivated at leaving certificate level. If RACE accommodation has not been granted, there is an opportunity for an independent appeal to that decision.
The Deputy referred to those presenting with a visual impairment. A number of amendments have been made to provide, for example, for enlarged versions of the standard and modified examination papers. There is a Braille version of the standard and modified examination papers. Reading accommodations include the provision of an individual reader, reading assistant or exam reading pen. Writing accommodations include a word processor or recording device to record the candidate's responses and access to a scribe.
The Deputy also specifically referred to dyslexia. The SEC has in place a spelling and grammar waiver. I also know there is an ongoing request for further review in that regard. It is my understanding the SEC has met representatives of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland. Everything is kept under constant review.
The Minister mentioned the Dyslexia Association of Ireland. It recently established an online petition, which was signed by 21,000 individuals, seeking the accommodation of additional time. At the moment, that is not available as standard for students with dyslexia but it is at third level. That creates an unfair situation and an unlevel playing field for those students.
In many other countries, that issue of extra time is an established option for dyslexic students at both second and third level to allow them to overcome the disadvantage those with dyslexia have. Given the experience of those with dyslexia, reflected in the engagement with the Dyslexia Association of Ireland, I believe a full review is required. The Minister mentioned assistive technology and there is definitely a role for such technology. However, the NCBI has raised queries, as have the Dyslexia Association of Ireland and the deaf community.
One parent said to me recently that her son was due to sit his junior certificate this year. During his mocks, his teachers encouraged him, and rightly so, as they would with every student, to attempt all the questions but he simply did not have the time. He got a reader, but it was shared across four students. If the principles for reasonable accommodation are designed to assist a candidate in demonstrating his or her achievement, there remains substantial work to be done around this scheme.
I believe in this scheme. I believe fundamentally that we must do all we can to ensure students get the opportunity at whatever level to showcase themselves at their best.
Specifically, in terms of dyslexia, the State Examinations Commission has met with the national organisation. Everything is kept under review. They would point to the fact that, almost uniquely in the world, there is the spelling and grammar waiver, which is not in existence in other jurisdictions to the best of my knowledge. However, they have listened to and are hearing what is being said by the dyslexia association from a national point of view and they will keep it under review.
It is important we would point to the accommodations that are currently in existence. If there is scope to do more going forward, there is scope to do more. It also includes the individual reader, the reading assistant, the word processor, a waiver from spelling and grammar, etc. Additional time for any candidate who is using a scribe is also provided for the time overhead in dictating answers. This is at a rate of ten minutes per scheduled hour or part thereof. That is not applicable, however, at leaving certificate level, particularly in English and Irish, given that there was a 20-minute addition of time given across the board in those subject areas.
I am conscious of the importance of this scheme. We are aware of how it has opened up so many opportunities for young people. The State Examinations Commission has informed me it is keeping it under consistent review. It has shown that with its willingness to meet with organisations. The commission meets regularly with organisations which feel they have additional points to make. In this instance, the commission will keep it under review, specifically in relation to dyslexia, as the Deputy has referenced.
I ask the Members to be fair to other Members. It happened at the previous Question Time. There are Members who have questions down. They come in and they want them to be heard. I am asking the Members to keep to the time. From here on in, I will cut the Ministers to the time.