Girl with learning disability gets relief, won’t lose academic year

Laxmikant Pande, chairman of the board’s Mumbai division, confirmed that they have received the order from MSCPCR and accordingly made an exception in this case. He said the board’s chairperson, who was in Mumbai Tuesday, went through the order and agreed to allow the girl to appear for the exams.

“I submitted a letter Tuesday along with the commission’s order to the state board. They have given me an enrollment certificate as well as a form which cites the reason for allowing my daughter to sit for the exam. The necessary formalities will be completed Wednesday, after which the board will issue the hall ticket. My daughter was aware of the case and while she was depressed about it, she never discontinued her preparations. She is a special child with learning disabilities, but she has a very high IQ,” said the mother.

The matter was first brought before MSCPCR on November 18, 2013. The mother had claimed that she withdrew her daughter from G D Somani Memorial School, Cuffe Parade, after she was told by the principal that she would not be able to clear her Class X exams as she was a “slow learner”.

According to the school, the mother voluntarily decided to admit her daughter to Nalanda Academy and applied for a leaving certificate (LC) on August 22, 2013, after the girl got admission there.

In their submission, the principal said the syllabus of SSC board and NIOS board is comparatively easy and therefore, “we suggested and we gave our option to the parents of these (students with various forms of learning disabilities) students so that they could opt for an easier board for the betterment of the child, but we never force them to take a decision”. It said as the school is affiliated to the ICSE board, “I (principal) am not fully acquainted with the rules of the SSC board and for the time first time, came to know that since the LC date is August 2013, the girl isn’t eligible for the said exam as informed by the Academy”.

The commission’s order, however, says the “dishonest suggestion” given by school authorities amounted to “withdrawal of admission” and attracted provisions of Persons with Disability (Equal opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, and guidelines issued by the ICSE board.

The commission has directed the school education department to initiate appropriate action against G D Somani.

“The guidelines as issued by ICSE board, in terms of affiliation of the school with the board, envisages that denial of admission to students who fall under the disadvantaged category shall amount to disaffiliation of the school,” says the order.