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Exams body to carry out equality review

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) is to carry out an equality review of its services, after an invitation from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC). 

The review will examine the accessibility of State exams for candidates with a visual impairment. 

IHREC said that it had used its legal powers, under section 32(1)(a) of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, to invite the exams body to carry out the review of its services, and that the SEC had accepted the invitation.

Equality reviews allow an organisation to benchmark its practices against its obligations under equality law. 

Accessibility 

The SEC is responsible for setting the criteria and processing applications for reasonable accommodation from students undertaking State examinations under the Reasonable Accommodations at Certificate Examinations (RACE) scheme. 

IHREC has asked it to conduct an equality review of the RACE scheme to address the issue of the accessibility of State exams for candidates with a visual impairment. 

The review will focus on the provision of accessible modified papers, the provision of additional time arrangements, and the delivery of digital exam papers to students with a visual impairment. 

‘Important opportunity’ 

Liam Herrick (IHREC chief commissioner) said that sitting an examination could be a stressful experience, even without additional challenges.  

“Success in an exam, which often has significant, sometimes life-defining consequences, should come down to the student’s merit, ability and hard work in their subject, rather than their disability,” he stated. 

Herrick added that equality reviews were “an important opportunity” for an organisation to reflect on its systems and practices, to assess the level of equality of opportunity within that organisation and identify how it could do better to promote equality of opportunity.