ICSE help for pupils with disability: Council lists relaxations for Class X and XII examinees

The ICSE council on Wednesday issued guidelines listing concessions
and benefits that students with disabilities and diverse learning needs are entitled to, the move aimed at ensuring that ICSE (Class X) and ISC (Class XII) examinees avail themselves of the relaxations.

The document has recently been circulated to schools affiliated to the council to create awareness about the concessions and benefits, an official of the council said.

Some of the concessions highlighted by the council: earplugs or earmuffs to be made available to students with autism to manage distractions, prior access to exam rooms for those with autism, relaxation in attendance on a case-to-case basis and broader access to assistive and adaptive documents.

“CISCE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations) is pleased to announce the release of a comprehensive document titled CISCE Guidelines for Comprehensive Support Measures in Examinations: Concessions and Benefits for Diverse Needs Learners. This landmark initiative acknowledges the diverse learning needs in schools and aims to expand the scope of support offered to students during examinations,” reads the guideline, signed by Sangeeta Bhatia, deputy secretary of the council.

Bhatia said that although most of the points in the guidelines were in place for many years now, the concessions were only provided to those students who would request for those.

“It was customary to provide concessions and benefits for students with benchmark disabilities as covered by the RPwD (Rights of Persons with Disabilities) Act
2016,” said the release signed by Bhatia.

But now, the guidelines have not only been made more comprehensive, they are
available as a public document for increased awareness and better implementation, making more students with disabilities and guardians know about their rights, she said.

The document has also been uploaded on the council’s website.

“The CISCE has taken a landmark decision to expand the scope of its guidelines to include learning needs associated with disability conditions not falling under benchmark disability status, and Borderline Intellectual Functioning (BIF),” the release said.

One change the council has introduced, which will be applicable from 2025, is that the compensatory time for students with disabilities when they are writing exams would be 20 minutes, instead of 15.

Some of the concessions are:

• Relaxation of attendance: A student has to have 75 per cent attendance for being allowed by the school to appear in ICSE or ISC exams.

• However, in case of students with disabilities, the cut-off criteria is 60 per cent or even less, depending on the needs, said a council official.

• Special consideration for students with autism: This includes prior access to examination rooms and seats to ensure rapport building with the reader, writer or an adult prompter.

• Students with autism are allowed to use earplugs or earmuffs to manage distractions.

• Students with disabilities and diverse needs can use assistive and adaptive devices, such as computers and communication tools, said a council source.

In the introduction to the document, the council has said every school must embrace
the heterogeneity of students and be supportive of transforming the classrooms into engaging places for all students.

“The document is detailed and it has made the inclusion criteria wide and welcoming, so that any student cannot feel denied or deprived of what is their due,” said Rodney Borneo, principal, St Augustine’s Day School, Shyamnagar.