Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach. With all of us Members present from Cork, I wonder if we could have a Seanad sitting in Cork.

I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I am here on behalf of the Minister for Education so the reply received is from the Department of Education. I thank the Senator for the opportunity to update the House on this matter.

The State Examinations Commission, SEC, has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the State examinations. The SEC is fully committed to providing an examination and assessment system with the highest possible standards of inclusiveness, equity and fairness and which enables all candidates to display their achievements. The SEC works closely with school authorities, the Department of Education, and other agencies to provide access to examinations for candidates with special educational needs. It also actively engages with persons with disabilities through their representative organisations.

For the 2016 to 2017 school year, the reasonable accommodations at the certificate examinations, RACE, scheme underwent fundamental reform. The reform focused on ensuring greater alignment of the RACE scheme with the overall policies of the Department of Education in the area of special educational needs; enabling greater access to the scheme by students with learning difficulties; and allowing greater autonomy to schools and certainty to students about the examination supports which will be available to them. These candidate-centred changes were informed by engagement with stakeholders which 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 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 for leaving certificate candidates who miss their examinations in the main sitting due to close family bereavement, or serious accident, illness or injury.

For the 2023 leaving certificate examinations, the SEC piloted the provision of read-only digital versions of examination papers to 14 leaving certificate candidates who are vision impaired and under the care of the National Council for Special Education’s visiting teachers service. Following a Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, case about inclusion of junior cycle candidates in the pilot, and having given detailed consideration to the issue, the SEC decided to extend the scope of the pilot to junior cycle in 2024. The scope was also extended to include modified as well as standard versions of examination papers. A total of 26 leaving certificate and junior cycle candidates are included in the pilot arrangements this year.

In the context of senior cycle redevelopment, the SEC has commenced work on a comprehensive system-wide review of the RACE scheme. A focus of the review will be increasing the use of assistive technology to enhance access and integrity and to further support independent learning. Some areas of recent focus by commentators and stakeholders on RACE include the provision of supports for candidates who have processing or cognitive issues including those with autistic spectrum disorders; the range of supports appropriate to those who are vision or hearing impaired; and the adequacy of additional time within the scheme. A review is ongoing and the Department is looking at it.