Qualifications Scotland Rejects Exam Adjustments for Student With Rett Syndrome

Qualifications Scotland has rejected exam adjustment requests for Romi Loffler, a 21-year-old student with Rett syndrome from Netherlee in East Renfrewshire who communicates using eye-gaze technology, according to BBC reports. Loffler, who completed National 4 history coursework last year, aimed to sit her National 5 history exam this year. The exams body declined her family and college’s proposed accommodations, which included taking the exam one question at a time over several weeks or months and using a pre-agreed bank of relevant words.

Qualifications Scotland Rejects Accommodation Requests for National 5 Exam

Loffler spends roughly half an hour writing a single sentence by spelling it out one letter at a time through blinks. The proposed adjustments would have involved Loffler sitting a different exam paper at the same standard as other National 5 candidates, spread over an extended period. Qualifications Scotland instead suggested that Loffler complete the test in one sitting, a proposal her mother, Gael Gordon, rejected as physically impossible due to the extreme fatigue caused by eye-communication.

Gordon stated that the examining body expressed concern that accommodating Loffler would grant her an unfair advantage over other candidates. In response, Gordon told BBC reporters that her daughter faces an immense disadvantage just reaching the starting line, emphasizing that Loffler wants to demonstrate her actual knowledge rather than receive unearned passing marks. Tracey Campbell of the charity Rett UK characterized the extra barriers as unfair and unjust, noting that English exam boards have previously permitted candidates to complete assessments over long periods, one question at a time.

Contrast Between Scottish Exam Rules and English GCSE Accommodations

BBC and Yahoo coverage highlight a stark policy difference between examination boards in England and Scotland regarding disabled candidates. In England, disabled students using eye-gaze technology have been granted extended timeframes for GCSE assessments, with one student with cerebral palsy taking five months to finish an exam. Gordon questioned why similar arrangements remain unavailable through Qualifications Scotland for National 5 candidates.

Qualifications Scotland defended its position by citing a dual responsibility to provide reasonable adjustments while preserving qualification standards. A spokesperson told the BBC that more than 39,000 learners benefited from assessment arrangements this year, but stressed that the organization maintains a strict duty to ensure adjustments do not compromise overall academic standards.

College Response and Ongoing Discussions With Examining Authorities

Glasgow Clyde College described Loffler as highly capable and committed to her studies. Claire Donaghey, assistant principal of arts and continuing education at the college, stated via BBC reporting that mitigating arrangements proposed by the institution were deemed incompatible with regulatory requirements. Donaghey added that the college remains fully committed to supporting Loffler and will continue working constructively with her family and Qualifications Scotland to explore available options.

Loffler expressed her frustration directly to BBC Scotland News through her communication device. Angry, she wrote. Other students got the chance to get their National 5 and I didn’t. That was unfair. I deserved the same chance as everyone else. She added that the exam system should adapt to give disabled students a fair platform rather than expecting students to fit rigid institutional frameworks, noting that people frequently underestimate her capabilities because of her disability.