The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Dyslexic students to get concessions for PU exams

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 20, 2010
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Dyslexic students to get concessions for PU exams

Chitra V. Ramani

It will be effective from this year onwards

Use of simple calculators allowed; exempted from appearing for one language paper
Candidates to get an extra hour for an exam; minor spelling mistakes to be overlooked

Bangalore: The Department of Pre-University Education has extended concessions to dyslexic students for the coming pre-university examinations to be held in March-April 2010.

According to a Government Order (GO) issued on February 17, the Government has noted that dyslexic candidates who are appearing for the first and second year PU examinations will be allowed to use simple calculators, besides being exempted from appearing for one language paper (other than the medium of instruction). These candidates will also be allowed an extra hour for the three-hour examination. Examiners may also condone minor spelling mistakes in their answer papers, the GO states.

K.S. Gopalan, president of the Malleswaram Dyslexia Association, who has for long been pressing for these concessions, welcomed the Government’s move to extend certain concessions based on the ones given to Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) students. The Principal Secretary of the Department of Primary and Secondary Education had written to the Department of PU Education on February 3 requesting for these concessions based on a representation filed by the association on January 27.

He said that from this academic year (2009-10), the SSLC examination marks cards of dyslexic candidates would recognise them as having Specific Learning Disability. Until now, the marks cards of such candidates recognised them as “Dyslexia/ Spastic”.

“In our representation, we had requested the department to put stickers to identify the answer scripts of these candidates, besides specifying on the PUC marks card that the candidate has a Specific Learning Disability (SLD). The department has agreed to do so,” Mr. Gopalan said.

The association had earlier got the Department of Primary and Secondary Education to allow dyslexic candidates to drop Mathematics and General Science and take up optional subjects such as Indian Political Science, Indian Economics, Indian History, Hindustani Music or Carnatic Music.

The pattern of examination for dyslexic candidates studying in classes 1 to 10 was also changed at its behest. While students of classes 1 and 2 would have only oral examinations, those in third, fourth and fifth standards would have 75 per cent oral assessment. Students of classes 6 and 7 would have 50 per cent oral and 50 per cent written assessment, while those in eighth and ninth standards would have 30 per cent oral and 70 per cent written assessment.

As mentioned in earlier GOs, candidates with SLD need to be certified as dyslexic from either the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, All-India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore, any psychiatrist working in a government hospital, any clinical psychologist with an M.Phil. qualification and attested by a government doctor (not below the rank of a district surgeon), and the association.

Documents needed

“Dyslexic candidates who wish to avail concessions for the March/April 2010 examinations must submit relevant certificates and documents to the department immediately, along with the recommendation of the principal. The SSLC marks card of these candidates have to be attested by the principal of the college and sent to the PU department as soon as possible,” he said.

For more details and assistance, parents may contact Mr. Gopalan at the Malleshwaram Dyslexia Association, A3, Surya Nest, 57, 15th Cross, Malleswaram, Bangalore 560055, or call (080) 23446058, 9341919101.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka