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	A watchdog has warned exam chiefs not to repeat the same mistakes when refusing support for children with dyslexia, poor eyesight or literacy problems.</p>
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	Children&rsquo;s Ombudsman Niall Muldoon said his office dealt with 132 complaints about the State Examinations Commission&rsquo;s handling of pleas for help in 2014 and 2015, and another 55 this year.</p>
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	Issues such as communication, fairness, and oversight were raised in many reports, but the watchdog said the fundamental concern was that exam chiefs did not explain why applications were refused.</p>
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	&ldquo;Parents and students were put in a position where they had to appeal decisions without knowing the reason why that decision was made,&rdquo; said Mr Muldoon.</p>
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	Under the reasonable accommodations at certificate examinations scheme, children who need help during exams can apply for test papers with large print or in Braille or a reader or scribe to help them complete answers.</p>
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	Teachers normally support the applications by supplying evidence of past test results, while psychologist&rsquo;s reports are also filed and pupils are asked to complete attainment assessments.</p>
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	Mr Muldoon said many students who qualified for the scheme for Junior Certificate were refused for the Leaving Certificate.</p>
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	&ldquo;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,&rdquo; he said.</p>
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	Mr Muldoon also said children being refused supports were often not told until late in the year.</p>
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	This year, the commission provided 19,806 reasonable accommodations for Leaving and Junior Certificate pupils.</p>
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	The ombudsman&rsquo;s office reviewed 40 of the complaints and found 38 related to refusal for exam support for Leaving Cert pupils with a specific learning disability such as dyslexia. After submissions from the watchdog, eight of those pupils were given exam supports.</p>
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	(Published by the Irish Examiner on the 29<sup><font size="2">th</font></sup> June 2016)</p>
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	<a href="http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/watchdog-warning-on-exam-support-for-children-with-literacy-problems-407442.html">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/watchdog-warning-on-exam-support-for-children-with-literacy-problems-407442.html</a></p>
