Mumbai varsity to stamp answer sheets of students with disabilities

Seal on all pages will remind teachers to be lenient while assessing papers

MUMBAI: In a boost to students with physical or learning disabilities, the University of Mumbai has decided to introduce a special seal to help teachers identify answer booklets of such students.

The seal, which will be stamped on each and every page of the answer booklet of persons with disability (PWD) or learning disability (LD) students, will remind teachers to maintain leniency while assessing their papers, said MU officials. “Until now, PWD/LD students had to tick mark on the first page of their answer booklets. We received complaints from students that their papers were still being assessed without any leniency, which is unfair,” said a senior official from the examination and evaluation department of the university.

Henceforth, all 40 pages of the answer booklet of students with PWD/LD will have a stamp on the right hand top corner of the page as a constant reminder to teachers.

Teachers will also have access to a document highlighting guidelines on how to assess answer papers of students with different forms of disabilities.

“Earlier, we used to receive complaints from students, and then had to get their papers reassessed by someone else. With the stamp on every page, teachers will be aware of the status of the student and will accordingly assess the paper,” said Vinod Malale, deputy registrar (public relations), MU.

UNIFORM POLICY

In March 2017, the state’s higher and technical education department, for the first time, came out with a uniform policy identifying 21 disabilities/ disorders for which students can be offered concessions/facilities at university-level exams

Acid attack survivors, cancer patients, students with shunted growth (dwarfism) and various learning and physical disabilities and slow learners are offered various concessions, including extra time during exams, simpler questions and grace marks Paper checkers are asked to ignore spelling mistakes as well as neatness for students with these 21 specific disabilities/disorders

Colleges affiliated to the University of Mumbai will soon receive a circular informing them of their role in ensuring the seal is in place before exams begin in October.

“All exam centres get a ready list of students appearing for the paper at their centre, which also

30 minutes extra time for SSC and an hour extra for HSC students

Exemption from third language (Hindi/ Marathi) for SSC students. Students may opt for a vocational subject instead HSC students may pick a vocational subject instead of the second language

Exemption from paper II in mathematics

(algebra and geometry for

SSC students.)

Students may instead take a vocational subject of 75 marks. highlights the number of persons with disability (PWD) or learning disability (LD) students. Colleges could keep that many answer booklets ready with the stamp or a junior supervisor could complete the process in the exam hall,” said the senior official.

20 grace marks during board exams

Use of a writer as per the rules

Earlier, we used to receive complaints from students, and then had to get their papers reassessed by someone else. With the stamp on every page, teachers will be aware of the status of the student and will accordingly assess the paper,” said

deputy registrar (public relations) MU.

The University of Mumbai has already declared the date of commencement of examinations for second half of the year (winter session).

Repeater examinations are scheduled to start in October and all final-year exams are slotted for November.