Students ‘must not be forced’ to pay for psych test

THIRD-LEVEL students have called for urgent action to increase the number of psychologists available to schools to ensure college applicants with disabilities are not forced to pay for private assessments.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) was responding to plans by college officials, revealed by the Irish Examiner last week, to seek an assessment, of not less than three-years-old, from any applicant with dyslexia or other specific learning disability.

The practice up to now has been to accept a report that was up to five, which would normally be available to a student who might have been assessed early in their second-level education.