Dyslexia curbs Galway girl’s Leaving choices

A Galway second-level student, with dyslexia and a language exemption, is prevented from sitting six subjects in the Leaving Certificate, Independent Senator Fidelma Healy-Eames has said.

She was referring to the case of a student who was diagnosed with dyslexia and giftedness in 2009 and exempted from Irish and foreign languages from first year onwards.

While she had done her best to learn French, the complexity of her dyslexia made it impossible for her to do so.

“The student’s school has informed her she will still be able to get her six subjects for her Leaving Certificate,” Ms Healy-Eames added. “When the language choices are excluded, however, six subjects are not available to her.”

She said the student was looking to achieve 100 per cent, which was 600 points plus the bonus points for mathematics, if necessary.

“No school in Galway will offer her that opportunity,” Ms Healy-Eames added.

Minister of State for Education Damien English said he recognised teacher allocations set the parameters in respect of the number of subjects on offer in schools. "However, the deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and, ultimately, the quality of teaching and learning are, in the first instance, a matter for the school management authorities."

Mr English said sharing arrangements between post-primary schools could help to ensure the range of subjects available to pupils was maximised.

“The option is open to them. This, however, is usually co-ordinated at school level and it is not dictated to them by the department.”

He also said the moratorium on recruitment across other sectors in the public service had not applied to teaching.