CHENNAI: The Directorate of Government Examinations (DGE) has revised norms for appointing scribes for disabled students appearing for Class 10 and Class 12 public examinations, barring subject teachers and allowing only trained college students and ‘Illam Thedi Kalvi’ volunteers to serve as scribes from this year. With districts yet to rope in adequate volunteers, headmasters and parents fear the move could affect disabled students writing examinations this year.
As per a circular, second-year students enrolled in DElEd, BEd, engineering and arts and science courses can be deployed as scribes. Chief educational officers have been asked to coordinate with colleges to mobilise volunteers, who must be trained before deployment.
These scribes will first be used for revision examinations ahead of the board exams, but cannot be assigned to the same candidates again in the main examination. For students with autism, Special BEd students or special educators will be appointed as scribes.
Officials said nearly 7,000 students writing the Class 10 examinations and around 12,000 students appearing for the Class 12 examinations will require scribes this year. Until now, subject teachers were appointed as scribes, a practice that ensured familiarity with the syllabus and comfort for students, though concerns were raised about possible misuse.
Headmasters and teachers flagged practical hurdles in mobilising and training enough volunteers at short notice, with the Class 12 examinations scheduled to begin in the first week of March. “The circular was issued only towards the end of January. With each district needing 300 to 500 scribes, many are yet to rope in that many college students and start training them.
In some districts, headmasters have been asked to bring in students themselves, adding to their burden. If uninterested students are roped in, the quality of support to disabled students will be affected,” said a government school teacher and parent of a Class 12 student with disability.
Many teachers working with disabled students said the process is being rushed without adequate planning. They said the department should have consulted stakeholders, including teachers from special schools, earlier in the academic year to avoid last-minute logistical issues and ensure disabled students are not put at a disadvantage.
Officials and some headmasters said the change was aimed at curbing cases of subject teachers allegedly writing exams on behalf of disabled students and private schools appointing scribes for ineligible candidates.