CBSE proposes exemptions for differently abled students

In a report submitted before Punjab and Haryana High Court, the CBSE said that the draft policy will be presented in the winter session before its Curriculum Committee and after clearance it will submitted to the Governing Body for final approval.

The board in the draft policy said that the teaching, learning and examinations can be made accessible with the use of technology but the major issue is lack of resources.

The Central Board of School Education (CBSE) has proposed to provide specific exemptions to differently abled students in the board examinations in accordance with their needs and also said that it is committed to shift to the online mode of examination for such children.

In a report submitted before Punjab and Haryana High Court, the CBSE said that the draft policy will be presented in the winter session before its Curriculum Committee and after clearance it will submitted to the Governing Body for final approval.

The HC had earlier this year directed CBSE to prepare a comprehensive policy for addressing challenges faced by differently abled children. The board in the draft policy said that the teaching, learning and examinations can be made accessible with the use of technology but the major issue is lack of resources.

Students with physical disabilities (visual and hearing impairment and speech and language disability); intellectual disabilities (specific learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder); mental illnesses leading to emotional problems and disability caused due to chronic neurological conditions, blood disorder and multiple disabilities will be provided exemptions.

Exemptions like providing flexibility in choosing subjects, examination through computers, allocation of centre of examinations at nearest possible place to the school, relaxation in attendance, waiving registration fees for class X and Class XII exams are common to most categories.

Here’s what a senior CBSE official said:

“We are working on the draft report. Meanwhile, we have already implemented many relaxations for the ‘Children With Special Needs’ (CWSN) in board exams in 2018.

“We have discussed our viewpoint with many state boards in the national workshops,” the senior official from the board told IANS.

Meanwhile, it is not yet final when the report will be released. However, it is likely to be put before the curriculum committee by the end of this end.

Who will get the benefit?

Students with physical disabilities (visual, aural, speech impairment), intellectual disabilities, mental illnesses, neurological conditions, blood disorder etc will benefit from these relaxations.

The CBSE had earlier in 2018 allowed CWSN candidates the use of computers (with no internet connections) to write their board exams, provided they bring their own computers and have them formatted by the teachers/computer specialists before the start of the exam.