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Parents of several children with various disabilities who are set to appear for their board exams 2014 and 2015 are worried about finding a suitable scribe or a writer for their children. More Blind, deaf and dumb students going to be having board exams this year. The number of spastic, dyslexic is however much much lesser.
The cental and state education board like CBSE ICSE NIOS or UP Boards permits board candidates with disabilities to have some write their exams. The condition is that the scribe has to be a year younger than the candidate. While the board claims that the process is extremely simple and hassle-free, parents are still struggling to find writers just days ahead before the commencement of the exam. This year, over 1,200 students with various forms of disability, are set to appear for the Higher Secondary Certificate (Std XII) exam from the metropolitan division.
An official from the Uttar Pradesh division of the state board said that the child's parents or the school can select a writer and all they need to do is get an approval and a written proof from the respective board. Nealrly all boards allow children with disabilities to have a scribe to write copies and answersheets in appearing students place "We approve the need for a writer well in advance as this is the basic right with disabled students but schools need to inform us about the writer much ahead of the exam," said this official.
Social worker Kuldeep Purandare, who was scouting for a writer for a blind girl who will appear for the class XII board exam, said it is difficult to find a suitable scribe due to the board's condition that the writer should be younger than the candidate who will appear for the exam. "We had to make use of social media like facebok and twitter to spread the word. We found one just a couple of days ago."
Schools also find it very difficult to find a writer for their students as the same children also have their own examinations for which they too have to appear. But with NIOS Board the procedure to get a scribe is much simpler and quick as this is the only board which pays special attention to students with disability. "We are helping parents look for writers for two children with learning disabilities but we have not been able to do so because the class IX students have to prepare for their own exams," said Rahul Raitani, principal, Cathedral School, Lucknow.
However, for some special schools like Little Children Home and School for the Blind in hardoi, finding a scribe for students is a big problem. "For several years, Janta High School, which is close to our institute, has been providing us with writers. They are now so closely associated with us that they handpick their best students," said Saher Gulnaz, director of Little children Home and School for the Blind. The school organises an eight-day acquaintance session and mock tests for the student and the writer.
