CBSE takes a big step towards inclusion, to make it easier for disabled students to take exams

Education

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is being a torchbearer for inclusion.

In a remarkable move, this education board is gearing up to provide certain exemptions to disabled students during their board exams. Recently, the Punjab and Haryana High Courts asked the CBSE to prepare a list of policies that would disabled students and ease the problems faced by them.

Meanwhile, the CBSE has assured the High Court that a final draft will be submitted in its upcoming winter session. This will be approved by the curriculum committee before being submitted to the governing body for a final go ahead.

CBSE had already submitted a draft to the High Court pointing out that they want teaching, learning and examinations to be made accessible for disabled students. But due to lack of resources, these have become a distant dream for both the education board and students.

This new draft will benefit students with various types of disabilities including those who are blind, deaf, and with learning and mental disabilities. Students who come under the category of autism spectrum disorder will also be part of this new draft.

Some of the benefits are:

Flexibility in choosing subjects.
Taking exams with the help of computers.
Attendance relief.
Setting up exam centres close to homes.
Cancellation of registration fee for class 10 and 12 students.

In case of medical emergencies, students who are enrolling for classes 10 and 12 will be directly admitted without having to attend attending classes 9 and 11. But for this, ample medical proof must be submitted by the student and school authorities.

In February this year, CBSE had put forward a rule in favour of children with special needs. Those who were attending board exams for classes 10 and 12 could use laptops and computers. But this was only after submitting documents in support of their medical demands.

Looks like, our school boards are moving in the right track. A panel had recently proposed including Indian Sign Language as a subject and offering Braille as a language option in academics. This was to be offered as a second language. This move had gotten a thumbs up from students, parents, teachers and schools from across India.

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