Class 10 exams loom but no Braille textbooks for students
By Ajay Moses | Express News Service | Published: 25th February 2018 03:51 AM |
Last Updated: 25th February 2018 03:51 AM | A+A A- |
A student with visual impairments reaches for the handle of a locker at the Government Boys High School, in Darulshifa on Saturday|R Satish Babu
HYDERABAD: In Nizam’s Hyderabad, the Government Boys High School in Darulshifa was famous for being the only school for blind in the State. However, in the past 4-5 years, the institution has been struggling to even provide textbooks to its students.
While Class-X students are gearing up to appear for the board exams scheduled to be held next month, they have no Braille textbooks to prepare and are solely dependent on notes given out by their teachers.
There are 10 students in the school gearing up to face the board exams — five from Telugu and five from Urdu medium. “We have six subjects to study, but we have got a braille textbook only for the Urdu language paper,” says Urdu medium student Md Ubaid who is currently writing his pre-finals.
The situation is worse for those in Telugu medium, for they have not got a single book in Braille.“Since we have no textbooks, our only source to prepare for the exams is the notes dictated by our teachers,” adds Ubaid. The problem is not restricted to Class-X but is prevalent across the High School. It has also been ongoing for the last four to five years, say sources. The reason, they say, is that there is only one Braille printing press in the State.
No amenities
Students of the school say they are not even provided with a proper uniform. “We feel different and let down when students from other schools for blind come with their school uniform, identity card, tie and belt,” said Mohan Chandu, a Telugu medium student.
When questioned about the problem, the officials said that the issue has been there for a long time. “Unlike any other school, the children who join here are older and the ‘one size fits all’ approach with which the dresses are supplied does not work,” says school headmaster Ramakrishna Reddy. The primary and high school children get a paltry `50 towards purchasing of toiletries. The amount has been stagnant for a long time now and is given only once in three or four months, say students.
The hostel that houses about 50-odd students is also in a dilapidated state. “Water seeps in when it rains and parts of the slabs collapse during monsoon,” says Chandu. Sri Vatsa, Special executive magistrate of the Hyderabad collectorate said they were going to rebuild the hostel very soon.
