High court refuses permission to autistic boy to sit for Class 10 exams

The Bombay high court has refused to grant relief to a 16-year-old autistic boy whose parents had approached it seeking that he be allowed to sit for the Class 10 exam this year.

In an order passed earlier this week, a bench of justice BR Gavai and justice BP Colabawalla, however, suggested that the parents consider shifting the boy to a school that caters to children with special needs and he take the exam at another suitable time.

The boy currently studies in a regular private ICSE school in Bandra West.

As per the petitioners, the boy “has no problem in understanding and writing his lessons but he simply requires more time than an average student” to do so. But the school has refused him permission to appear for the Class 10 final exams.

The boy’s parents had cited previous judgements of the high court that allowed autistic children to study in regular schools as long as the school arranged for a shadow teacher for such a student, and made other requisite special arrangements.

The petitioners also submitted that the state human rights commission, while dealing with a similar case last year, had permitted the child concerned to continue at a regular school.

They also submitted that though the state ministry of social justice and empowerment runs some separate schools for children with special needs, the state ministry of human resource development promotes an inclusive education model where several children with special needs are encouraged to study in regular schools.

MUMBAI: