Special Educational Needs
Seanad Éireann — 2025-06-19
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Shane Curley (FF), Cultural and Educational Panel

I am not trying to be facetious, but the fourth last paragraph was a beautiful exposé of how obsessed we actually are with time limits in State exams. I welcome the fact that a broader review is taking place and that this will be taken into account. I stress to the Minister of State that zero additional time is allocated right now to students with dyslexia, who, in many cases, have a reader with them in the exam. The reader cannot explain anything or interpret the text for the student and is simply there to read the exam for them. I have been a reader, not during the State exams but in special centres during mock exams. I know it adds time to what is needed in order to actually get the student to a stage where he or she can answer the question. Additional time is not an advantage and it does not disadvantage any other student. It simply gives the student extra time to write down what he or she already knows and has in his or her brain. It is a no-brainer. I thank the Minister of State for his time.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-06-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:53:56+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-06-19