A day after parents of Std X and XII children with learning disabilities approached the state commission for protection of child rights, after their kids were denied writers for the upcoming board exams, the Forum for Autism has come forward to help the parents.
A day after parents of Std X and XII children with learning disabilities approached the state commission for protection of child rights, after their kids were denied writers for the upcoming board exams, the Forum for Autism has come forward to help the parents.
The students are gearing up to appear for the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) exams, which start from April 10. Before that, they will take the practical exams.
The forum has written a letter to the regional director of NIOS board office in Pune, requesting that the students be allowed to have writers, like they were last year. It is awaiting a reply.
Several parents themselves rushed to Pune on Monday to meet the NIOS regional director. They have questioned the decision despite them asking for the same a month in advance as per the rule. The director has allowed 20 extra minutes for these children but not writers.
The forum's letter states that with only a few days remaining for the exams, denying the children writers and access to calculators will lead to enormous anxiety among them and that perhaps they won't be able to appear for the exams at all.
"Children with learning disabilities were allowed writers until last year. We hope they will be this year too. As per rules, this concession (of writers) is available to those with autism spectrum disorder," said forum president Parul Kumtha.
A parent, requesting anonymity, said, "An official from Pune NIOS board wanted to know the percentage of learning disability of our children. But that's something unquantifiable."
"Learning disability cannot be quantified. But if one must, then at the time a child is diagnosed with it, it is definitely not less than 40%," reiterated an expert from the learning disability centre at a government hospital.
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