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November 13, 2006
Maharashtra orders concessions for students with learning disorders
Maharashtra orders concessions for students with learning disorders
The Indian Catholic, Education News, November 1, 2006
Finally acknowledging that tackling schoolwork is an uphill battle for children with learning disabilities like dyslexia, the Maharashtra government has spelt out a number of concessions for them that schools will have to abide by
For children with learning disabilities in Mumbai, school life has just become a little easier with Maharashtra issuing a government resolution spelling out concessions for students with dyslexia (reading disability), dysgraphia (writing disability), dyscalculia (disability in carrying out mathematical calculations) and dysnomia (dictation disability).
The concessions to such students with respect to choice of subjects, levels of learning and exams follows a Bombay High Court order directing the state to make the changes in favour of students with learning disorders.
According to the resolution, students with learning disabilities should:
Be given extra time to finish their examinations, and be permitted a writer.
Study a lower level of mathematics and be exempt from learning languages other than English.
Not be asked to submit lengthy answers in homework or in their exam papers. Errors in spelling and grammar should also be ignored.
If a junior school student suffers from dyscalculia, teachers should ignore interchanged numbers (for instance, 12 written as 21). Students from Class 1-9 who fail exams should get 20 grace marks.
Schools that do not abide by these directives will face contempt of court charges. They have also been instructed to periodically check whether students whose results are dissatisfactory suffer from learning disabilities.
According to experts, every Mumbai school has an average of 50 students with learning disabilities -- children with normal levels of intelligence who fall behind the rest of the class because their teachers and parents haven't recognised that they have a learning disorder. With the implementation of the new rules, this problem may well be resolved.
Parents of children with learning disorders have hailed this as a victory against an unsupportive education system that left them, and not the schools, shouldering the burden of their children's struggle to keep up with their classmates in the face of heavy odds. Many report having to face apathy from teachers, principals and school administrations when confronted with the problem.
Pallavi Singh (name changed), mother of a 15-year-old with a learning disability says she is happy with the concessions. But, she adds, the approach of teachers also needs to change. "They still fail to acknowledge that a child is different and needs to be treated differently." Admitting that schools often ignore cases of learning disability, president of the Maharashtra Dyslexia Association Kate Currawala says that even if there are provisions for students with learning disabilities they are not usually implemented. "Schools need to take initiatives so that the disability is identified at the earliest," says Currawala.
In fact, some parents who have fought long and acrimonious battles with their children's schools in an effort to make them acknowledge the problem, insist it is not new rules but stricter implementation of existing ones that is the real issue.
Fourteen-year-old Justin Bharucha’s academic performance was as good as any other student's up till Class 4. But then he started making spelling mistakes all the time. "At first, I thought he just needed to work harder and enrolled him in a coaching class. When that didn't help, I became alarmed," says his mother. When a medical examination revealed that Justin was dyslexic, acceptance of the problem was slow and painful.
"When we finally came to terms with this we approached his school for help. They refused to acknowledge the problem. Even after a couple of sessions with the principal, who could clearly see what my son was going through, they refused to help."
"As my awareness about concessions for dyslexics grew, I kept going back to his school to fight for them. After all, it was Justin’s right," says Bharucha. "Whenever a court ruled in support of LDs, I would get hopeful again. But every new judgment just ended in an unsuccessful battle with the school management." SSC board chairman Vasant Kalpande says all efforts are being made to implement the concessions for special students. He added that students with learning disabilities are already allowed to sit for two language papers only, instead of three. "From 2007, students with learning disabilities will be allowed to use calculators," Kalpande adds.
Source: http://www.theindiancatholic.com/newsread.asp?nid=4231
Aqeel
Posted by jicafriends at November 13, 2006 01:13 PM
Comments
my child 14 years old havingg the problem of LD. He is in 8th class but this year having difficulties to pass the exam.the school in refusing to give facilities after requesting repeatedly, i am very much confused and helpless. please help me and help the child.
Posted by: sangita at March 23, 2008 02:37 PM
I have been teaching for almost 8 years. I heve encountered children with learning disability/disabilities too (dyscalculia and dyslexia.He repeated grade two and suffered for emotional problems since he knew his weakness. He showed misbehavior in class. For how many years, he felt bad of himself until he found our school that matches with the child's needs. He started to feel good and perform well in class. Actually he cope academically and bloom as a normal child in a regular class set-up. Yet there is still difficulty in him but he accepted that and tried his best to survive. Own his own inner motivation to finish school. All of this things were possible because of the endless support of the family members and the school.All you have to do today is to look for a school that would match your vision for your child, let him be diagnosed by an expert and present his case to the school. Theres hope for everything as long as you want them to happen! Good luck!
Posted by: lt at March 31, 2008 08:45 AM
I had a similar problem where the school was very rude and refused to grant exemptions. Treat my son and me very badly -kept yelling that we should apply for Leaving Certificate - This exercise of providing all the documents started from June 2007 and finally in December 2007, the school very categorically stated they would not give any exemptions.
The school authorities pushed me into taking my story to the media and directly complaining to the Dy.Director of Education - Ms. Sheila Tiwari, copying and other top officials. I am happy to say that Ms. Sheila Tiwari took the time from her busy schedule to write to the Education Inspector of my ward directing them to advise the school they had to grant exemptions with immediate effect.
School authorities just want to weed out childen -to ensure they get cent per cent results in the 10th BOard exams. They forget Charity towards such children - yet they preach about Charity in schools.
My advice - take heart and go ahead with your fight for your childs right. Do not allow the school to infringe on your child's constituional right to study where he wants. Get your child analysed by a private child psychologist - the report will help take you further in getting required certification. Clare
Posted by: clare rocha at July 22, 2008 04:44 PM
Government Concessions FOR STUDENT OF STD 5TH WHO HAS LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY PLEASE LET ME KNOW
Posted by: RAVI at December 10, 2008 10:15 PM
my brother is certified with dyslexia & dysgraphia.. but still he is not
allowed concession in spelling mistake in N.L.College malad(w).. we have
shown his certificates from sion.. rules for learning disability from
university of mumbai but still they do not allow my brother for spelling
mistake concession.. please let me know what should be done.. how to
convince college authorities
Posted by: pooja shah at March 25, 2011 10:48 AM