Blind Students Forced to Arrange Their Own Exam Writers as Committee Calls System ‘Vague’ and Demands Five Year Record
Islamabad: Visually impaired students appearing in board examinations were allegedly left without official writer support in Islamabad, forcing families and welfare organizations to arrange scribes themselves despite legal protections under the ICT Right of Persons with Disabilities Act. The issue came under scrutiny during the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, where representatives of visually impaired students said the problem was not merely delayed payments but a failure to provide a basic examination facilities to blind children. The most serious allegation came from representatives working with blind students, who told the committee that a list of 120 visually impaired students needing writers had been shared with provinces before board examinations. They said most provinces provided writers, but Islamabad failed to ensure the facility for several students. According to the briefing, 35 blind students at Al Maktoom Centre needed writers, but the relevant authorities did not provide them. The representative said around 20 students had to arrange writers on their own, while 13 students were unable to do so and had to be supported by others at the last moment. He called the matter “quite a shameful issue,” saying visually impaired students and their families already face heavy burdens and should not be forced to run after writers before examinations. Officials from the education side initially stated that rules allow writer facilities for visually impaired and physically disabled students who are unable to write. They said the board also pays the writers and that the recent issue related to payment processing. However, representatives of blind students rejected this framing and said the core problem was that writers were not provided in the first place. The committee noted a major contradiction between official claims and the complaints of affected students. One member observed that officials were saying the facility had been provided, while representatives were saying students received nothing, creating a serious gap in the system. The chairperson Senator Bushra Anjum Butt also remarked that the system appeared vague and flawed, requiring a proper way forward instead of verbal explanations. A representative of the Pakistan Foundation Fighting Blindness said the issue has continued for years and that blind students mostly belong to lower middle class families that cannot afford to arrange writers themselves. He said the previous Federal Board chairman had cooperated for two years, but after his retirement, the new leadership allegedly said the matter was not its responsibility. The committee stressed that arranging writers should not be the responsibility of students, parents or families. Members said once a visually impaired student is enrolled for exams, the system should proactively assign a qualified writer instead of forcing the child or family to search for help. The chairperson directed the concerned officials and representatives to sit together, identify gaps, prepare rules if required and submit a clear way forward in the next meeting. She said the committee wanted a proper presentation showing what was happening earlier, what went wrong, and how suggestions from visually impaired students would be incorporated. The committee also sought a five year record of writer demand and actual provision, including how many students requested writers, how many were provided the facility, why any requests remained unmet, how much writers were paid, what qualifications they had, and whether subject suitability was considered. Members said writers must be properly qualified because a person unable to understand subjects like mathematics, physics or chemistry may not be suitable to assist students in such exams. The chairperson criticized officials for appearing before the committee without complete details, saying they were giving vague statements when they should have brought lists, ID card details, writer pools, payment records and clear rules. The committee directed that all relevant data and policy proposals be presented in the next meeting.
Read in Urdu: نابینا طلبہ کو امتحانی رائٹرز خود تلاش کرنے پر مجبور کیے جانے کا انکشاف، سینیٹ کمیٹی نے نظام کو “غیر واضح” قرار دے دیا
Copied from: Senate Committee raises concerns over lack of writers for blind students exams
