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Mary Hanafin wins case to discriminate.
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Yesterday a court ruled that the Department of Education had not discriminated against dyslexic students when after they received reasonable accommodation in their exams that their results would be marked as having been marked differently. I wrote my feelings angrily on this a while ago Mary Hanafin or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Oppostion. And my views have not changed. Hopefully the equality authority will appeal this to the High court(subs reqd). From the Irish Examiner the states State Examinations Commission advisory group reasonable accommodations reported.
In many of these instances, a note at the end of the actual certificate of results states that the person benefited from a waiver. In its consultation document showing issues being considered, the advisory group asks whether there is an alternative to such annotation. “International practice indicates that where the candidate demonstrates attainment in the specified elements of the assessment, even if the means by which the candidate demonstrates attainment is changed to facilitate access, the issue of annotation does not arise,”
Emm? Not sure what issue does not arise means i.e that no one minds it or that it is not an issue as it does not happen. Can’t find the document on their website
I always thought this was a spurious against the department. If the court had found against the department then it would in effect have swung the scales so far that the most disadvantaged people would be those unfortunate enough to be born male, white, intelligent and able bodied
If some students are given some extra time for exams, then it’s only fair that employers are entitled to extra hours from that employee without paying any extra. What do you think of that Simon?
So what if you’re able to call it “discrimination”. Discrimination is a good thing - as long as it’s based on ability (to read or drive or whatever the job entails) and not based on race or whatever. Wheelchair access is an interesting issue - it raises costs on the employer, but at least their performance on the job is not fudged in the way you’re trying to suggest.
If you allow exams to become meaningless random-letter generators, then employers and the like will simply find other ways such as more in-depth interviews to weed out those that cannot read and write to the required standard.
And also, if a blind student is given help with exams you can’t seriously expect them to be able to apply for jobs and hide the disability from prospective employers?
Simon, you could find yourself doing a great disservice to disability rights if you make a scene about “dyslexia” (however it’s defined this week). It doesn’t matter whether it’s caused by genetics or bad parenting or diet or whatever, you’re effectively calling for the scrapping of all exams and for all students to be automatically given a Pass just for turning up to school. All variation in mental capacity is ultimately “caused” by something, and there’s nothing special about “dyslexia”.
If some students are given some extra time for exams, then it’s only fair that employers are entitled to extra hours from that employee without paying any extra.
you’re effectively calling for the scrapping of all exams and for all students to be automatically given a Pass just for turning up to school
Do you ever actually read what you write or even think about what you write. Seriously? Once you actually make an intelligent point I might reply.
If the court had found against the department then it would in effect have swung the scales so far that the most disadvantaged people would be those unfortunate enough to be born male, white, intelligent and able bodied
Mike you trying to say that dyslexics are stupid? Just for future informations dyslexics tend to have above average intelligence. But keep up with your male white etc etc thing if it make you feel better.
Are certificates annotated for those students who get their extra 10% bonus for taking their exams in Irish?
Rainy Day - not they are not. But nobody gets 10% bonus for doing the exams in Irish, unless they score zero in the test itself. You get 10% of the marks you didn’t get as a bonus for doing the exams in irish. So if you scored 70%, you’d get a 3% bonus to give you 73%. AFAIK, this scale doesn’t apply uniformly to all subjects, some only allowing 5% of the marks you didn’t get (Maths, I believe) and other subjects having no bonus at all (Gaeilge itself, for one). So, for higher performing students, the benefit of the bonus is considerably reduced.
The rationale for this bonus system is the very real additional effort required to study some subjects in Irish, since textbooks are often not available in irish and so a load of class time is spent translating English textbooks into Irish.
You are right to highlight the obvious inconsistency though. I wonder if this is a parallel the Equality Authority drew and if not, why not?
You are right to highlight the obvious inconsistency though. I wonder if this is a parallel the Equality Authority drew and if not, why not?
I heard that arguement before. So maybe they did.
It’s hard to believe they lost then - but there you go. Hanafin is some cnut!