Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Fleming for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the position with regard to the State Examinations Commission's scheme of Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations, RACE. I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy O'Sullivan, who is out of the country today.

The State Examinations Commission, SEC, was established as an independent agency in 2003 and has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. Students with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia as well as those with physical conditions are accommodated in the examinations under the SEC's RACE scheme. However, the existence of a specific learning difficulty does not automatically make a candidate eligible to avail of reasonable accommodations in the certificate examinations. Even though candidates may have a specific difficulty with reading, writing or spelling, they may not require the provision of any special accommodations provided that they can read the examination papers at the required level and write legibly.

The range of accommodations available to students includes the use of a special examination centre; provision of modified, brailled and enlarged papers for visually impaired students; access to readers, scribes, word-processors, tape or voice recorders for students with physical conditions, dyslexia or other types of specific learning difficulty; and exemptions from components of the examinations such as the oral or aural or the waiver from spelling and grammar in language subjects. Where candidates have reading difficulties, a reader may be provided. Some students may apply for and be granted more than one type of accommodation.

In the case of the leaving certificate, all applications for reasonable accommodations on grounds of specific learning difficulties are referred to the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, for consideration. This is not the case with the junior certificate. Decisions are made at a local level for junior certificate students. It is only at leaving certificate level that the NEPS becomes involved in the decision making process.

Eligibility thresholds apply to the various types of accommodations which can be made under the scheme and each case is considered on its own merits. Each application must include information supporting the candidate's request for a particular accommodation, including current school-based testing on ability and attainments in order to inform the psychologist's recommendation under the schemes' criteria. For example, applications for readers at leaving certificate level must show evidence of a specific learning difficulty and must be accompanied by supporting information which will allow NEPS to make an assessment of the applicant's degree of reading difficulty. The NEPS assessment of eligibility for the purposes of the RACE scheme is made on the basis of all of the information available and as required, in consultation with the school concerned.

Appeals against any aspect of the SEC's decision on RACE applications can be made to an appeals committee which is independent of the SEC. Neither I nor my Department have any role in reviewing decisions on RACE made by the SEC or the independent appeals committee. Candidates who continue to be dissatisfied with the outcome can appeal further to the Ombudsman or the Ombudsman for Children.

The Deputy quoted figures in his question and while I do not have those figures in front of me I do know that 1,700 candidates were provided with access to a reader last year. The Deputy has argued that there has been an increase in the number of refusals but I do not know if there was a corresponding increase in the number of applications. Perhaps the Deputy has data on that issue and if so, he should put that data on the record of the House too. I will seek the data to which the Deputy refers because an increase in the number of refusals could be linked to an increase in the number of applications in general. I do not know if the percentages have changed in that regard. All of that being said, it is an independent and rigorous process. The criteria are set out quite clearly and decisions are made in accordance with a framework of principles which was established by an expert advisory group. The process is entirely independent. I agree with the Deputy that negative decisions on RACE applications can cause great distress. Indeed, I have had constituents come to my office to express concern in that regard. However, we must make sure that this scheme is fair and equitable to all students who are sitting State examinations.

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