Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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16. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the eligibility criteria for the deferred leaving certificate examinations to ensure that students who have a unforeseen medical emergency while sitting an examination are eligible for deferred sittings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34589/22]

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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Will the Minister review the eligibility criteria for the deferred leaving certificate examinations to ensure students who have an unforeseen medical emergency while sitting the examinations are eligible for deferred sittings? Will she make a statement on the matter?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The State Examinations Commission, SEC, has responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations and has provided me with the following information.  Candidates experience many forms of trauma and adversity, such as serious illness and bereavement, around the time of the leaving certificate examinations and may be sitting examinations at a time that is not optimal for them.  For the 2022 leaving certificate examinations, the SEC is providing an extended scheme of deferred examinations within the policy context of the scheme of reasonable accommodations at the certificate examinations, RACE. RACE was originally established to support students with a complex variety of special educational needs in accessing the examinations each year. As well as providing accommodations for candidates with permanent or enduring special needs, the RACE scheme also provides for emergency situations that occur during the examinations each year.

Until 2019, candidates who missed their leaving certificate examinations due to bereavement, or for any other reason, had no option but to sit their examinations the following year. Deferred examinations were first held in 2019 for candidates who experienced bereavement of a close family member. Prior to the pandemic, the SEC had been considering the broader issue of how best to support candidates experiencing different forms of trauma and adversity at examination time. This included consultation with stakeholders, as well as research into practices in other jurisdictions.

For the 2022 leaving certificate, the commission has considerably extended the eligibility for the deferred examinations to candidates unable to sit their examinations in the main sitting due to serious accident, injury or illness. Candidates who are absent from examinations on public health grounds due to Covid-19 also have access to deferred examinations. The overarching principles in providing deferred examinations to those who need them include safeguarding integrity and maintaining confidence in the leaving certificate to ensure equity and fairness for all candidates.

Every effort will continue to be made by the SEC and by schools to accommodate candidates who suffer bereavement, illness, or other trauma either immediately before or during the examinations.  In addition, the longstanding arrangements under the RACE scheme to support candidates in taking their examinations as scheduled include sitting the examinations in special centres or in hospital, provision of rest breaks, and timetable alterations. These arrangements are available to candidates ineligible for deferred examinations.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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I want to quote from a press release from Epilepsy Ireland last week, following the announcement that a young man had to leave his examination after an emergency. It stated, "A seizure is a seizure, whether it happens an hour before the exam or during the exam, it has the same impact on you." My question is specifically about people who have to leave examinations during the examination. I wrote to the Minister about an issue last week where a young man had to leave his history examination after experiencing acute appendicitis. That young man was initially told that he would not be able to repeat the leaving certificate examination, which he had to leave in agony. Following a sustained campaign by his family on social media and politicians getting involved, he was then allowed to sit the deferred examination. We are asking for a simple change of policy that lets people who experience these extreme situations during an examination know that they do not have to go on social media to relive that pain and agony just to be able to resit an examination. Can we offer a change of policy?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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To be clear, the SEC has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. I am cognisant of the unique circumstances we find ourselves in this year, particularly due to Covid. I have been an advocate from the beginning that there should be a second sitting of the examination. I am mindful that students should have the maximum opportunity to showcase their talents. The second sitting of the examination allows for that, particularly if there is a case of Covid, a significant medical emergency, a family bereavement or something of that nature. In light of all that we have experienced this year, it is important to have a review of how the scheme operates and how this particular sitting of deferred examinations has operated. There should be a review that engages all stakeholders. The SEC is committed to that.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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The second sitting of examinations is welcome. There are some issues with its deployment but we can talk about that on a different day. The question I am asking today is about what happens when a person experiences a medical emergency during the examination. The SEC previously stated that people would not be able to resit the examination. There was a welcome change last week during an individual case. Epilepsy Ireland has highlighted this issue for many years. We are asking for a policy change to reflect that and this individual case. I understand the Minister says it is the SEC's responsibility, but she is the leader in education. Can we have a full review and a change of the policy to ensure that people know that if they go into an examination fearful of experiencing an issue such as an epileptic fit, they can resit the exam without having to take to social media or lobby politicians and finally get an outcome that they should have had anyway?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. Again, I want to be clear. I have never been ambiguous around the fact that I am an advocate of students getting the maximum opportunity to showcase their talents and present themselves in the best possible light at every step in education, including in the leaving certificate exam. I have said very clearly that there will be a review of the operation of the scheme. This is right and proper. There has been great learning, this year and previously, and I believe we need to look at these learnings going forward. At the centre of it must be the opportunity for students to perform to their best capacity. This review, which will take place under the auspices of the SEC, will be very helpful and will provide direction going forward.