NIOS keeps specially abled students on tenterhooks

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 18

Due to the inordinate delay in granting permission by the National Institute Open Schooling (NIOS), differently abled students of the district appearing for exams privately, are facing roadblocks in appearing for their pivotal matric compartment exam.

While one of the students received permission at the 11th hour, two more students are yet to get permission. One of the students, who was allowed to appear for the English matric compartment exam with a writer on the condition that he will get permission by the next exam, but with NIOS yet to grant it, activists say the body is endangering the literacy and future of the students.

Every year 5 to10 students of the district – sometimes more – have to appear for compartment exam privately – for which they need permission for a scribe/writer from the NIOS.

Rayan Haris, who was denied a writer on the first compartment exam, got a writer during the second (English) exam, but with no permission for the next exam to be held on October 31 so far, he might miss out on the important examination. In that eventuality he would not have any choice left, but to appear for the exam next year.

While Rayan suffers from impairments in leg and hands, two other students, Priyanaka has not yet received permission but was allowed by her school authorities to appear and Kanwaljit got permission a day before her exam.

Disability activists say, despite seeking permission for students months ago, the body is not granting them in time which amount to harassment since every time they go to the examination centre they are asked for the NIOS permission for their writer to appear.

Disability activist Vivek Joshi said, “Now the NIOS asks them to personally appear to take the permission, which also majority of the students are unable to do. While two years earlier, some private academies were also authorised to grant the permissions, now they can’t do so too. We have written months ago and wrote again several days ago. But I have not get my permission to appear in the exam. Shall we file a petition in the Court to seek a simple thing as a writer’s permission?”

Activist Amarjit Singh Anand said, “Be it Central Board of Secondary Education, Punjab School Education Board or NIOS, the permission for a scribe or a writer to disabled students is always a problem which disabled students face every year.”