Mar 17, 2025, Leitrim Live: ‘One in 10 are dyslexic’: Leitrim councillor calls for fairer exam time allocation
At March's meeting of Leitrim County Council, Cllr James Gilmartin called for additional time to be allocated in state exams for students with learning difficulties.
Students with learning difficulties at Junior Cert and Leaving Cert level can apply for Reasonable Accommodations at Certificate Examinations (RACE), which aims to minimise the impact of a disability on their performance and ensure they can sit state exams on equal terms with other students.
Accommodations granted include measures such as bringing medication into the exam room and allowing rest or break periods.
Cllr James Gilmartin, a secondary school teacher, is calling for additional time to be allocated in exams for students with learning difficulties.
At a meeting of Leitrim County Council, he urged the local authority to write to the Minister for Education, requesting the State Examinations Commission introduce stand alone additional time for students with dyslexia, dyscalculia and other learning difficulties in second level exams.
“This additional time would be of critical importance in aiding a significant cohort of students in what are most stressful exams,” Cllr Gilmartin said.
“There is support in place for children who would have high level needs but a lot of students are excluded from this. This is common practice across Europe and in third level in Ireland that additional time is given to students with learning difficulties,” he added.
He explained that many students struggle to articulate their knowledge or have slow handwriting, which becomes rushed in an exam setting, leading to illegible work.
“One in 10 in Ireland are dyslexic. Anyone with extra needs should be accommodated,” he added.
Cllr Gilmartin’s motion was met with widespread support.
“It’s a problem that is across all schools and any help they can get they deserve it,” commented Cllr Warnock.
Cllr Cormac Flynn, a secondary school principal, highlighted that additional time would be cost neutral.
He noted that most of these students would have already gone through the RACE process but did not score low enough to qualify for a special exam centre.
“If you have a diagnosis of dyslexia, dyscalculia or dyspraxia an extra 10 minutes shouldn’t be a big deal,” he said, calling it a “no brainer.”
“The knowledge is there,” Cllr Gilmartin added, “It’s just transferring it.”
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