Intent: To discuss issues of importance to children and young people with dyslexia, including the current RACE review and the urgent need for extra time when dyslexic students are sitting their Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations.
Details: Meeting with the State Examinations Commission (SCE) in Athlone
The meeting on 12th August 2025 was to again raise awareness with the SEC about a range of issues affecting young people with dyslexia, including the urgent need for extra time to be introduced into the RACE scheme of accommodations for dyslexic students when they are sitting Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations. Issue of better access to Assistive Technology and more timeous decision making were also raised, - Meeting
Intent: To raise issues of importance to children and young people with dyslexia, including the urgent need for extra time when dyslexic students are sitting their Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations.
Details: Meeting with Michael Moynihan TD, Minister for Special Education and Inclusion
Congratulated the Minister on their appointment and offered to meet to raise awareness about dyslexia and current advocacy campaigns including our call for extra time to be added to the suite of accommodations available to dyslexic learners in Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations. - EmailThe meeting on 27th May 2025 was to raise awareness with the Minister about a range of issues affecting young people with dyslexia, including the urgent need for extra time to be introduced into the RACE scheme of accommodations for dyslexic students when they are sitting Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations. - Meeting
Emails to request a copy of the terms of reference for the review of the second-level RACE exam accommodation scheme, and to request an indicative timeline for the review. - Email
Intent: Clarification of the reasonable accommodations available for secondary school students who stammer in state oral exams provided by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) as part of the Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations (RACE)::Update to the 2025 RACE guidance document published by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) detailing the Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations (RACE) available for students who stammer in state oral exams
Details: Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations (RACE) for secondary school students who stammer
Email to the Irish Stammering Association Board to suggest they email the oral exam department of State Examinations Commission to share their experiences of oral exams, and highlight the inconsistency in access to accommodations for students who stammer in oral exams due to the lack of clarity in the guidelines, as they imply that accommodations are only available to students with both a hearing impairment and a speech impediment, creating confusion and limiting access to eligible students. - EmailPenny emailed local County Councillors and TDs in her region (Co Longford) to raise awareness and highlight that the lack of clarity in the RACE guidelines for students who stammer meant that students were not consistently applying for, or granted, accommodations in oral exams. This action aimed to address the issue by bringing it to the attention of the local council and Minister for Education. - EmailPenny emailed members of the Speech and Language Therapist special interest group in stammering to suggest that any SLTs who had experience of a client navigating RACE applications to email the oral exam department of State Exam Commission in order to share the experiences of their clients who stammer. This feedback aimed to provide real-world evidence of the impact of the unclear guidelines, strengthening the case for action to ensure consistent and fair accommodations for students who stammer. - Email
Intent: Changes to assessment / Meeting of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Partners' Forum / Commitment to inclusion of stakeholders in advance of policy announcement / Second-level mobile phone ban
Details: Senior Cycle Redevelopment / Curriculum and assessment
Intent: We sought agreement by the SEC to review the Reasonable Accommodations in Certificate Examinations (RACE) scheme to better reflect international and third-level practice including the addition of extra time as an option for students with dyslexia and other learning difficulties who need it.
Details: In-person meeting with the State Examinations Commission (SEC) re the issue of extra time in state examinations for dyslexic students
Intent: For provision to be made for the aforementioned situation in the 2023 rules on deferred leaving cert sittings.
Details: Seeking that provision be made for students with epilepsy who have a seizure during their exams to have access to a deferred sitting of the Leaving Cert exams
Following up with the SEC & Minister regarding this issue; following up with supportive TDs and Senators and seeking to brief them on same and keeping them informed on the issue; informing supportive TDs and Senators that the issue has been resolved. - EmailMet Senator Fiona O'Loughlin unexpectantly in person and discussed this campaign and forwarded further information to her on same. - Informal communicationMet office of Deputy Gary Gannon and Deputy Patrick Costello to discuss this issue in further detail and seeking that they raise in Dáil and highlight need to have this issue addressed. - Virtual Meeting
Intent: Meeting with the State Examinations Commission, and a review of the Reasonable Accommodations in Certificate Examinations operated by the SEC to better reflect international practice including the addition of extra time as an option for students with dyslexia and other learning difficulties who need it.
Details: Campaign calling for extra time in state examinations as a reasonable accommodation for students with dyslexia and other learning difficulties who need it
Arranging meeting with SEC to arrange a meeting to discuss this issue. - EmailAsking Deputies Gannon and O'Riordain to raise issues re deferred exam access relevant to people with epilepsy. - EmailTrying to arrange a meeting with Minister Foley through the Minister's diary team. - Email
Intent: To try and secure support from stakeholders for a hybrid leaving certificate for the class of 2022 i.e. through accredited grades & examination period
Details: Informing education stakeholders of the ISSU's position on the Leaving Certificate 2022
