Tanu Kulkarni Bengaluru
The Hindu
Jul 16 2017
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) has urged its affiliated schools to detect specific learning disabilities in children at an early stage, preferably when they are in primary school or before they turn nine. The council reversed its earlier circular — which said detection should happen after students turn nine years old — last week following an order passed by the Bombay High Court.
CISCE has also asked schools to abide by the Right of Persons with Disability Act 2016, which says educational institutions should detect specific learning disabilities among children and take measures to help them overcome it.
The move has been welcomed by school managements. In fact, many say learning disabilitiesare identified late, sometimes when the students appear for board exams.
Parents, however, feel that schools should ensure that they appoint trained professionals to tackle this issue. Shweta Sharan, founder of Bangalore Schools, a support group, said, “It is a good thing, but how will special educators be selected? There is a paucity of good ones.”
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