TIRUCHY: Without scribes to assist them, writing online exams is a much more difficult task for visually challenged students, especially for those in rural pockets. During pre-online learning time, colleges used to assign scribes to assist visually impaired students in exam halls.
With e-learning and online exams becoming the new normal, they are having difficulties in write exams from homes and uploading images of the answer papers. “I am from Pattukottai and could not find any person who can write the exam for me as I dictate. A few school children are around, but asking them to write in English, in the speed of an adult is a tall order in rural areas like mine,” said K Pradeep a final year student in Bharthidasan University. He is scheduled to take the first of his third semester’s assessment test on Wednesday. “For many days I have been trying to find someone to write for me but in vain. I have put out requests in many Whatsapp groups and informed friends,” he added.
At the eleventh hour he managed to find someone to assist him write one exam. His search continues as the scribe will not be available for other exams. Students in the final year are allowed to write exam in campus. But first and intermediate years’ students don’t have that opportunity as they are still taking online classes.
They have not written any exam until now as the government allowed colleges to assign marks based on internal exams. “It was an issue already represented to the government, but they took no steps to address it,” said P Saravanamanikandan, Deputy secretary. Helen Keller Association for the Welfare of the differently-abled.
He added, “Many students, especially in the rural areas are struggling to find scribes. It was an issue during the final year exams that recently got over.
Some approached us and we arranged scribes with difficultly as they had to stay in their villages to take the exam.” He said that the government should ensure availability of scribes at the earliest. “It is a right to have accessibility. If the government denies that, by not caring then it is worrisome.”