{"id":749,"date":"2016-06-28T09:40:34","date_gmt":"2016-06-28T09:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oco.ie\/?p=749"},"modified":"2017-10-25T09:44:02","modified_gmt":"2017-10-25T09:44:02","slug":"ombudsman-children-calls-commitment-state-examination-commission-issue-clear-guidelines-race-scheme-benefit-students-disabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oco.ie\/ga\/news\/ombudsman-children-calls-commitment-state-examination-commission-issue-clear-guidelines-race-scheme-benefit-students-disabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Ombudsman for Children calls for commitment from State Examination Commission to issue clear guidelines for RACE scheme to benefit students with disabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

Communication and oversight of RACE scheme prevalent in complaints<\/h2>\n

The Ombudsman for Children, Dr. Niall Muldoon, has called for a commitment from the State Examination Commission to issue clear guidelines for the Reasonable Accommodations at Certificate Examinations (RACE) scheme, ensuring fair and timely access to exam support for the Leaving Certificate students of 2017. The Ombudsman was speaking following the publication of a report outlining complaints made in relation to the State Examination Commission\u2019s administration of the RACE scheme for students with special educational needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy office has been dealing with the same types of complaints in relation to the RACE scheme for a number of years now and I do not want to see this repeated next year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2014 and 2015, the Ombudsman for Children\u2019s Office (OCO) received 132 complaints about the State Examinations Commission\u2019s administration of the RACE scheme. So far in 2016, the office has received an additional 55 complaints.<\/p>\n

\u201cIssues such as communication, fairness and oversight of the scheme were common across all of the complaints.<\/p>\n

\u201cA fundamental concern was that the State Examination Commission did not provide applicants with the reason why their application was refused. Parents and students were put in a position where they had to appeal decisions without knowing the reason why that decision was made.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn May 2016, the State Examination Commission began to provide reasons for its decision to refuse applications. While this was very late in the 2016 cycle, I very much welcome the commitment to continue this practice in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was also found that many students who qualified for the scheme for Junior Certificate were refused for Leaving Certificate. Although the process for decision making is different, the scheme states that the eligibility criteria for both exams is the same. This resulted in confusion and frustration for both students and parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cComplaints received by this Office highlighted the issue of late notification of decisions in many cases. Leaving Certificate students with disabilities should know what supports will be provided to them in a much timelier fashion, and not in the final year, or even the final weeks, of their school education.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am calling on the State Examination Commission to accept and implement the recommendations of this report in reviewing the criteria for the RACE scheme for students with special educational needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cSimilar issues to those discussed in this report were addressed in the High Court in recent weeks and the State Examination Commission subsequently undertook a review of some cases for 2016.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Ombudsman for Children, I would expect that this report, alongside those judgments, will inform the overall review of the scheme to ensure that the State Examination Commission will meet its commitments to children with a disability. That would help to ensure that students sitting the Leaving Certificate in 2017 will not experience the same difficulties.\u201d<\/p>\n

ENDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Contact:
\nAoife Carragher
\nOmbudsman for Children\u2019s Office
\n01 865 6806 \/ 087 148 4173<\/p>\n

Notes to Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n