Special Provisions (3 Viewers)

[ValentinesM]

i was so surprised to see so many people from my school getting 'special provisions' and their reasons for getting these 'special provisions' seem so trivial. they are people who are or close to the top of the cohort. for some it's 'anxiety issues' or 'can't put too much stress on their brain' yet they can still achieve top rankings and do tutoring for most or all of their units, others include 'possible nose bleeds from consuming certain foods'.

i was also very astonished at the range of issues they have, and i've known them for so many years yet i have not heard about these issues until HSC started.

i understand that some people genuinely need these rest breaks, but for others, i am not so sure.

what do you think?

 

[ajdlinux]

What percentage of people got special provisions at your school?

I have special provisions myself (rest breaks 5 mins per 30 mins, extra writing time 2.5 mins per 30 mins, writer which I don't use), and there's two other people in my year (out of 35 people) who have them as well, one person with handwriting issues, and another with quite serious stress-related issues. I certainly haven't seen any issues with the special provisions system up this way, but I'm up on the mid-north coast and Sydney's probably rather different.

 

[jackricho92]

some people at my school get special provisions (upto half an hour extra) because they write slowly.

 

[Aerath]

Which school do you go to OP?

 

[Melisoverschool]

i know someone who ahs pecial provisions for hand cramps because of writing. they get rests every half hour and an extra 5 mins per half hour of the exam

 

[ajdlinux]

i know someone who ahs pecial provisions for hand cramps because of writing. they get rests every half hour and an extra 5 mins per half hour of the exam

5 minutes per half hour (i.e. 30 minutes in a 3 hour exam) seems to be the standard rest time rate for pretty much all handwriting-related applicants. I don't know anyone who's gotten more, nor do I know anyone who's gotten less, except if they get a computer.

 

[Melisoverschool]

we actually have quite a few special provisions kids- about 7 or 8 in a year of 150

 

[ajdlinux]

we actually have quite a few special provisions kids- about 7 or 8 in a year of 150

Well percentage-wise that's only around 5%, my school's more like 8%. It's not really all that surprising, there are quite a lot of people with handwriting difficulties, and there are a few with quite serious disorders of other kinds.

 

[JB10]

lol @ the people who need special provisions because they can't deal with the stress or they have anxiety issues. fucking wimps

 

[mckensara]

i think they are actually pretty hard to get the 5 min rest break
its a big advantage i rekon

 

[posey-rose]

3 people in my year had to have special provisions because they injured themselves
one dislocated her shoulder
one broke his arm.
one broke both wrists (i think)

i know that each three would not have special provisions if they didnt need it.

i dont think i could handle having special provisions, especially if someone had to write for me... esp for creative writing (would be a tad embarrassing)

 

[ajdlinux]

lol @ the people who need special provisions because they can't deal with the stress or they have anxiety issues.

You obviously haven't met people who actually suffer from these anxiety issues.

 

[mckensara]

You obviously haven't met people who actually suffer from these anxiety issues.

i hear that

 

[sirpoopalot7]

We have quite a lot, like 10-12. Ranges from chronic fatigue due to disrupted melatonin levels to handwriting problems.

 

[sj1990]

i have special provisions.
and yeh, i totally get why some people would be fucking pissed off about it... like there was one person in one of my exams who got a misadventure because their hand hurt...and i was like "well of course you do you're writing for 3 hours straight moron" and i know for a fact they dont have problems with their hands. another of my friends got a misadventure because they had diabetes and their sugar levels were so high they couldnt even be read on their sugar machiney thingy, and at that level she got really sick... so special provisions for her diabetes is just seperate supervision so she can give herself insulin and do blood test readings during her 5 mins rest time... fair enough i think?

and yeh... i get how pissed off you would be... and i get how big of an advantage it can be... but there is some stuff that us special provisions kids have to put up with, ie.
1) if you have a serious reason for special provision, you still have to go through the waiting of being accepted for s.p
2) the crap that other people give us, because we are "pussies" and the stigma attached.
3) being in a small exam room, if one of the other s.p kids start losing it (like the kid with a sore hand who was practically banging their head on the desk and was crying and moaning) your exam time and concentration does get interrupted... plus, at my school we are stuck in a tiny room near the library that has outside seating/lessons near it with very loud obnoxious jnrs who dont know how to shut up during hsc exam times.

the thing is though.... its not really that much of an advantage...its giving disadvantaged kids an opportunity to be on an equal statis with other kids....

that being said.... a lot of private school have like 20 to 30 kids with s.p.... you have to wonder how many of those are genuine, or if its a cash-under-the-table situation.... ultimately though, s.p has a lot of requirements that need to be filled, and extensive medical documentation.... its a TOUGH thing to get... the bos has their own medical board that reviews each case, and you CAN be refused. so rest assured, usually its on a fair basis....

and the whole "anxiety" thing is crap... i have it for anxiety... but its not for "exam anxiety" or any of that crap....its a chemical imbalance... and the seperate supervision is good for the general cohort....would you want someone to have a panic attack and interrupt your hsc exam?

 

[Melisoverschool]

i think the people with anxiety issues deserve special provisions the most...i admire their courage to even complete the HSC

 

[lolrofllol]

i have special provisions.
and yeh, i totally get why some people would be fucking pissed off about it... like there was one person in one of my exams who got a misadventure because their hand hurt...and i was like "well of course you do you're writing for 3 hours straight moron" and i know for a fact they dont have problems with their hands. another of my friends got a misadventure because they had diabetes and their sugar levels were so high they couldnt even be read on their sugar machiney thingy, and at that level she got really sick... so special provisions for her diabetes is just seperate supervision so she can give herself insulin and do blood test readings during her 5 mins rest time... fair enough i think?

and yeh... i get how pissed off you would be... and i get how big of an advantage it can be... but there is some stuff that us special provisions kids have to put up with, ie.
1) if you have a serious reason for special provision, you still have to go through the waiting of being accepted for s.p
2) the crap that other people give us, because we are "pussies" and the stigma attached.
3) being in a small exam room, if one of the other s.p kids start losing it (like the kid with a sore hand who was practically banging their head on the desk and was crying and moaning) your exam time and concentration does get interrupted... plus, at my school we are stuck in a tiny room near the library that has outside seating/lessons near it with very loud obnoxious jnrs who dont know how to shut up during hsc exam times.

the thing is though.... its not really that much of an advantage...its giving disadvantaged kids an opportunity to be on an equal statis with other kids....

that being said.... a lot of private school have like 20 to 30 kids with s.p.... you have to wonder how many of those are genuine, or if its a cash-under-the-table situation.... ultimately though, s.p has a lot of requirements that need to be filled, and extensive medical documentation.... its a TOUGH thing to get... the bos has their own medical board that reviews each case, and you CAN be refused. so rest assured, usually its on a fair basis....

and the whole "anxiety" thing is crap... i have it for anxiety... but its not for "exam anxiety" or any of that crap....its a chemical imbalance... and the seperate supervision is good for the general cohort....would you want someone to have a panic attack and interrupt your hsc exam?

Well said. Pussy.

nah i'm just troolin now... lol'd at kid banging his head; sounds like my normal examination room.

 

[ajdlinux]

3) being in a small exam room, if one of the other s.p kids start losing it (like the kid with a sore hand who was practically banging their head on the desk and was crying and moaning) your exam time and concentration does get interrupted... plus, at my school we are stuck in a tiny room near the library that has outside seating/lessons near it with very loud obnoxious jnrs who dont know how to shut up during hsc exam times.

I just asked the presiding officer to put me in the main room and she happily obliged

and the whole "anxiety" thing is crap... i have it for anxiety... but its not for "exam anxiety" or any of that crap....its a chemical imbalance... and the seperate supervision is good for the general cohort....would you want someone to have a panic attack and interrupt your hsc exam?

The student at my school who has anxiety-related provisions has it bad enough that she decided to do her HSC over an extra year otherwise she felt she wouldn't cope.

 

[Jai5on]

i only have 1 in my year, out of 110 students. He has special provisions because he has diabetes. but i do go to an all boys school, so the care factor for the HSC is very low anyways lol

 

[ehtefaz.hedayet]

just wondering do they allow this in selective schools?