#AFairRaceFor2017

Reasonable accommodations can be made available to students with dyslexia when sitting State examinations.

The accommodations are intended to limit the impact of the candidate’s disability on their exam performance, while not giving the candidate any unfair advantage.

Where approval for an accommodation is approved for Junior Certificate, it does not automatically follow that approval will be granted for Leaving Certificate. A fresh application is required in respect of the Leaving Certificate. The application is submitted by the school in May of 5th year. The application is submitted by the school, with the consent of the parent and student. The final decision is made by the State Examinations Commissions.

On May 27th more than 80 students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities were awarded ‘reader’ help or other special accommodation for the Leaving Certificate exams following a review of the refusals of 400 applications for assistance. The starting date for leaving cert 2016 is 8/6/16.

Students should be given the results of their applications as early as possible in order to reduce the stress and upset a refusal can cause, the reasons for the refusal should be laid out clearly and the appeals process should not be still ongoing this close to the exams.

The knock-on effect of this review is that the applications for next year have been deferred to September. I do not want next year's leaving cert students or any future leaving cert students to be subjected to this unfair treatment which is why I am starting this petition.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/learning-disability-students-win-right-to-reader-401872.html