Reshma Dileep, an academically bright 15-year-old blind student is fighting the system to enroll into a science course at Government Fisheries Higher Secondary School,
Nattika, Thrissur. Reshma secured nine A+ and an A grade in Humanities
in the SSLC but was denied admission to science groups stating that she
won't be able to perform practical experiments which is a course
requirement.
"The school was very impressed with her academic performance but when we approached the medical board for a certificate, the list of subjects mentioned by them only included commerce and humanities. The school year begins on June 24 and Reshma will enroll for humanities but we will carry out the legal fight to enroll in a computer science course," said Dileep Kumar, Reshma's father.
Reshma said she loves science and that she did not understand why the medical board wouldn't consider her outstanding academic results. "Everyone just accepts the status quo and no one wants to know why the blind are not allowed to enroll for science subjects for plus one and plus two. This is an unfair practice," she said.
Chakshumathi Charitable Trust, a prominent assistive technology centre and an advocate for accessible science and mathematics for the blind has supported Reshma's writ petition to secure admission in plus-one in the science branch.
"In India HRD ministry in last February issued an order to modify all examinations for the visually challenged and to provide lab assistants or scribe to the student if he or she demand. The CBSE and other national and State schooling streams are encouraging blind students to purse science. In Kerala due to true ignorance of the concerned officials, these brilliant minds are pushed away from Mathematics and Science. This is truly a breach in the constitutional rights of a person," said Ram Kamal, who is part of Chakshumathi.
Kerala has around 4,00,000 blind men and women with 98% unemployment just because of the substandard education they are forced to undergo, said Prof. VK Damodaran, chairman of Chakshumathi. "This needs to be stopped to save at least the new generation of these specially able children and "I AM RESHMA" campaign is the humble step to fight and win the constitutional educational right of every blind student," he said.
Shiju Khan, SFI state president, "Reshma is not alone in her fight and I AM RESHMA campaign will get a momentum when schools open this week. We will submit a comprehensive memorandum to Chief Minister, especially to address the needs of visually impaired students."
Reshma's writ petition is now with the High Court of Kerala waiting for the reply from the education secretary and the higher education director.
Source : TOI , 4th June 2013
"The school was very impressed with her academic performance but when we approached the medical board for a certificate, the list of subjects mentioned by them only included commerce and humanities. The school year begins on June 24 and Reshma will enroll for humanities but we will carry out the legal fight to enroll in a computer science course," said Dileep Kumar, Reshma's father.
Reshma said she loves science and that she did not understand why the medical board wouldn't consider her outstanding academic results. "Everyone just accepts the status quo and no one wants to know why the blind are not allowed to enroll for science subjects for plus one and plus two. This is an unfair practice," she said.
Chakshumathi Charitable Trust, a prominent assistive technology centre and an advocate for accessible science and mathematics for the blind has supported Reshma's writ petition to secure admission in plus-one in the science branch.
"In India HRD ministry in last February issued an order to modify all examinations for the visually challenged and to provide lab assistants or scribe to the student if he or she demand. The CBSE and other national and State schooling streams are encouraging blind students to purse science. In Kerala due to true ignorance of the concerned officials, these brilliant minds are pushed away from Mathematics and Science. This is truly a breach in the constitutional rights of a person," said Ram Kamal, who is part of Chakshumathi.
Kerala has around 4,00,000 blind men and women with 98% unemployment just because of the substandard education they are forced to undergo, said Prof. VK Damodaran, chairman of Chakshumathi. "This needs to be stopped to save at least the new generation of these specially able children and "I AM RESHMA" campaign is the humble step to fight and win the constitutional educational right of every blind student," he said.
Shiju Khan, SFI state president, "Reshma is not alone in her fight and I AM RESHMA campaign will get a momentum when schools open this week. We will submit a comprehensive memorandum to Chief Minister, especially to address the needs of visually impaired students."
Reshma's writ petition is now with the High Court of Kerala waiting for the reply from the education secretary and the higher education director.
Source : TOI , 4th June 2013
We in our country are accoustomed to look towards judiciary for each and every change, not by choice always, but because the policy makers are spineless...
ReplyDeleteI support her attempt, it will certainly help us find ways of true inclusion