Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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Good morning. I thank the witnesses for coming in. I was formerly a secondary school teacher and I was the special educational needs co-ordinator for some of that time, so I was the one who used to apply for the RACE accommodations and experience the frustration of the emphasis from the State Examinations Commission that if they grant something to a student, it would give them an unfair advantage in the exam. There is an emphasis on giving an unfair advantage, whereas it seemed to forget about the student who was struggling to keep up with the curriculum, to prepare for the exams and who have the extra stress of worrying they will not get through the exam. I am sure Ms O'Brien agrees. It is interesting that Ms Bissett said engagement with the SEC has been quite limited. Under the UNCRPD, the notion of "nothing about us, without us" is very strong, and it includes education. There is an onus on the SEC to liaise with groups and advocates representing people with additional needs and people with disabilities in all aspects of the curriculum and the course. The SEC should be liaising with Dyslexia Ireland. I came across this with a student who was blind and was looking for different accommodations to do her exams. While she did very well, she could have done so much better had the SEC listened to her and to what her needs were. The SEC really does need to listen to Dyslexia Ireland about what the needs of students with dyslexia are and make sure it accommodates them. Another thing parents bring to my attention a lot is delayed diagnosis of students. Often, they might suspect there is an issue. They are asking the teachers and the teachers either suspect it themselves but are not getting the resources, they do not know, or they are saying there is nothing wrong. Early diagnosis would make a huge difference for students. Ms O'Brien probably always knew she had dyslexia but when was it actually diagnosed? What sorts of supports did she get in her education outside the limited supports for exams?