15 May RACE Review Submission
Dyslexia Ireland has today made our submission as part of the SEC’s review of the RACE scheme. We want to issue one final call to as many of our members as possible to do the same.
Our submission is built around what parents and students told us in a recent survey, and some of what they shared makes for difficult reading. Students feeling written off by single test scores. Families finding out weeks before exams whether accommodations have been granted or refused. Young people going into their final June exams without the opportunity to practise with the supports they’re supposed to have. No access to adequate extra time. This isn’t a system working as it should.
Our submission sets out clear, practical recommendations across five key areas:
Accommodations – We are calling for individual readers (rather than shared ones), meaningful extra time of at least 25% per hour as a standalone accommodation, the retention of the spelling and grammar waiver, and full access to assistive technology (including text-to-speech and speech-to-text, and formatted digital answer books) in all state examinations.
Eligibility Criteria – The current reliance on single test scores and rigid cut-offs fails to capture the real, day-to-day experience of students with dyslexia and dyscalculia. We are calling for a needs-based approach that reflects how students actually work and learn.
Timeline – Students and families currently find out the outcome of RACE applications far too late to allow adequate preparation. We are recommending that all students know their approved accommodations by December of Second Year, giving them time to practise and build confidence before their exams.
Universal Design – Exam papers should be accessible by design. We are calling for clear language and plain English standards to be applied to all Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate papers.
Engagement with Service Users – The RACE process causes significant stress for far too many families. We want to see annual surveys of all applicants (successful and unsuccessful) with results published and used to drive ongoing improvements.
The consultation is open from February to May, so if you’ve been through the RACE process (as a parent, a student, or a teacher) your account of that experience is exactly what’s needed. If you haven’t already done so, please consider making your own submission – you can complete a survey, or email your thoughts, or even leave a voice mail. It doesn’t need to be long. It just needs to be your honest perspective. The more voices the SEC hears, the stronger the case for real, lasting change.
For full details on how to take part see https://www.examinations.ie/RACEConsultation/
Get your submissions in soon as we understand that the deadline is the end of May.
You can download and read our full submission here.