Kerala: Visually impaired student gives SSLC exam, scores A plus in all subjects

Haroon Kareem TK, a visually impaired student form Mankanda Higher Secondary School in Kerala, who become the first visually impaired student to write Secondary School Leaving Certificate examination using a computer has scored A plus in all subjects. He first made headlines, after his struggle to secure permission to use a computer instead of the conventional method of writing the exam, was reported by media outlets. It was then the state Education Minister C Raveendranth gave a special order which permitted him to use a computer.

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'Would have got little credit' 

Speaking to ANI, Haroon said that had he used a scribe and scored A plus in all subjects, then all the credit to his success would have been given to the scribe and all his efforts would have been seen as 'little'. He then added that, by using a computer provided by the authorities, he was happy that he could keep his self-pride high. "Writing all subjects using a computer is not an easy task as language subjects are diverse," he said.

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In February, the education department had denied his request to write the exams citing SCERT. However, it was with the intervention of the education minister that things moved beyond scribe and braille. This issue caught the minister's attention after he reached out to him on Facebook and met him in his office. 

“I am using computers to do all my class tasks and term and annual examinations since Class 8. For visually impaired there are technologies available for onscreen reading and using various tools like Imfty editor and Dolphin Easy Reader. I am able to make the best use of technology,” the young scholar told ANI.

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