New South Wales Education Standards Authority, NESA, has a set of principles to guide decisions about the types of arrangements it provides to students with a disability to access the Higher School Certificate examinations. The principles were developed to ensure that NESA complies with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (DDA) and the Disability Standards for Education, issued under the DDA.

Disability provisions aim to ensure that a student with a disability can read the exam questions and communicate their responses to the markers. Provisions can include rest breaks, extra time or separate supervision. The use of any provision is not written on the student’s results. The provisions granted are solely determined by how the student’s exam performance is affected. Students may need provisions for: 

• a permanent condition, such as diabetes or reading difficulty.
• a temporary condition, such as a broken arm, or 
• an intermittent condition, such as back pain when sitting for long periods. 

Provisions may also be given for mental health or concentration difficulties, as well as health conditions. Students in Year 12 who are accessing provisions have already received a letter regarding an application for High School Certificate Disability Provisions. 

Applications for Disability Provisions must be made to NESA which determines what, if any, provisions are granted. There is a standard procedure that must be followed when the school is submitting an application. There is no guarantee that applications will be successful. 

The College is required to demonstrate how provisions enable the students to access the exam on the same basis as their peers. It is important for students to be using provisions in school-based tasks so that evidence can be provided by the school. If you wish the College to prepare an application for Higher School Certificate Disability Provisions for 2022, please contact Ms Alyssa McGinnes via phone or email – mcginnesa01@dow.catholic.edu.au

Ms Alyssa McGinnes
Diverse Learning Coordinator