Commission defends supervisor system after suspension of superintendent
The superintendent at a special centre at the Institute of Education in Leeson Street sent a number of Twitter messages, or “tweets”, probably from a mobile phone, during Thursday afternoon’s second Leaving Certificate English exam. But as well as tweeting messages complaining that the exam was “dragging on a wee bit” and pitying the girls in the school as “im young handsome & probably very distracting”, he also gave away where he was working. The supervisor, believed to be a postgraduate student, was suspended by the school after the State Examinations Commission (SEC) alerted them. However, the SEC would not have been aware of which centre the superintendent was working if he had not mentioned it in one of his tweets, as it does not have a record of the names of superintendents employed by schools.
The SEC sanctions the appointment of readers, scribes or other superintendents in special centres and schools employ them and are later reimbursed.
Around 7,600 superintendents are working in special centres for this year’s Junior and Leaving Certificate exams, compared with 4,700 supervising general exam halls.
“In the case of special exam centres, schools are usually best placed to determine the person most suitable, often someone who the student will be comfortable with which might mean one of their resource teachers or a special needs assistant,” an SEC spokesperson said.
“From a practical point of view, it would be extremely difficult for us [to make the appointments] because of the numbers involved. But the requirements for conduct are the same for all superintendents, whether they are appointed by us or by the schools,” she said.
The SEC grants what are known as reasonable accommodations by giving a student access to a scribe or reader, use of a tape-recorder or word processor, or where a student is hospitalised or requires an individual centre. Superintendents in exam centres separate from main exam halls at schools are expected to give their entire attention to their duties, including reading or scribing, and are not allowed to use mobile phones, read newspapers or books, or engage in other activities other than their paid job.
