The doughty dozen: 12 deaf-mute students overcome odds to ace Maharashtra SSC exams

Nineteenyearold Salik Kotwal a student preparing for his SSC exams dreams of completing his higher education and securing a job in a corporate companymdasha dream that once seemed impossible Even passing school felt out of reach but now as he readies himself for his board exams it finally seems within graspSalik a resident of Kurla is among 12 deaf and mute students set to appear for their SSC board exams on February 24 This group which had never learned English before will attempt the English language paper after receiving dedicated training from teachers at TEACH Training and Educational Centre for Hearing Impaired a Mumbaibased charitable trust working to provide higher education opportunities for such studentsShrutika Pawar studentIn an era where lsquoinclusive educationrsquo is a widely discussed concept Indiarsquos lack of effective support systems and trained sign language educators continue to deprive many students with hearing and speech impairments of quality education To bridge this gap and ensure these challenges do not hinder academic progress TEACH has stepped inAs SSC exams approach we spoke to 12 students from TEACH who are preparing for this crucial milestone From study strategies to personal journeys they share how they are gearing up for exams the obstacles theyrsquove overcome and the support that has made a difference These students will appear for their board exams from two schools in Mazagaon on MondayThis year 12 students from TEACH will appear for their Std XSSC board exams starting on February 24 PicsKirti Surve ParadeConfident and determined they express readiness for the challenge Passing the SSC English subject is a prerequisite for qualifying for higher education or FYJC in English Hence these students will appear for the SSC English paper as isolated candidates under the Maharashtra State BoardStudentSpeakldquoIn my previous school teachers made us write lessons without explaining them properly No Indian Sign Language ISL was used and I felt left out I thought I would never fulfil my dream of getting a corporate job When I joined TEACH I received the attention and support I needed I finally started understanding my lessons No matter how many times I ask the teachers always clear my doubts Now I feel positive and my goal seems achievablerdquo Salik told midday with the help of Prajakta Pawar a teacherShrutika Pawar 19 a resident of Kalyan shared a similar experience ldquoI studied at a special school in Bhiwandi but the ISL used there was not very clear and more speech was used It took us a lot of effort and time to understand what the teachers were trying to communicate Now communication is no longer a hurdle and learning English has made it easier for me to prepare for my SSC examrdquoFazlerab Shaikh student Prajakta Pawar teacher Salik Kotwal studentLack of trained teachersPrajakta Pawar who teaches at TEACHrsquos degree college section highlighted a major issue ldquoMost of these students come from regular or special schools where communication in ISL varies Many schools rely more on speech than ISL making it difficult for students There is a severe lack of trained teachers in India to cater to students who are deaf and muterdquoA mission for inclusionIn 2016 two corporate professionals set out to help hearingimpaired students who lacked access to higher education Their first batch graduated in 2022 Maharashtra has a sizable hearingimpaired population of eight lakh yet it lacks a single junior or degree college dedicated to them The state has only three governmentrun schoolsmdashin Akola Aurangabad and Raigadmdashcollectively educating just over 150 students There are 265 grantfunded and 24 private schools for the hearing and speech impaired serving over 20000 students However these students often struggle with subjects like mathematics and language comprehension due to an ineffective curriculumAman Sharma 35 and Deepesh Nair 35 the founders of TEACH noticed this gap while volunteering at special schools in Mumbai ldquoTEACH is a higher education institute for deaf and hardofhearing students But why focus on higher education Even today almost 99 per cent of deaf students drop out after Std X because less than 1 per cent of universities and colleges are accessible to them There are colleges for the blind with widely available Braille books but little effort has been made to cater to hearingimpaired studentsrdquo said SharmaHe added ldquoAs a result around 85 per cent or more of these students remain unemployed or underemployedrdquoPerplexed by how Indiarsquos financial capital lacked infrastructure for hearingimpaired students Sharma and Nair quit their corporate jobs to address the issue They were later joined by Bonny Kuruvilla Sonali Kaveri and Meena Jagtiani as core team members In 2016 they rented a classroom at Mumbai Universityrsquos Kalina campus accommodating 23 students Today TEACH operates from leased premises in Sion West and has expanded with two additional centres in Pune and DelhiThe number of students at TEACH grew from 143 in 2022 to 372 across its three centres Mumbai currently has 280 students while the Pune and Delhi centres have 41 and 51 students respectively The core team members manage daily operations while 40 trained special educators conduct classes All teachers and trainers are proficient in sign language ldquoWe too have learned sign language from the internet and from our students which helps us communicate betterrdquo Sharma saidldquoIn special schools deaf or mute students are not exposed to mainstream educationrdquo explains Sharma ldquoThe system is archaic and focuses on traditional vocational courses The lack of early intervention also affects their mental and emotional developmentrdquoAccording to the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995 1 per cent of government and private sector jobs are reserved for disabled individuals However these positions require degree certificates from recognised universities TEACH has developed its own educational model focusing on English language acquisitionmdashcritical for students who cannot hear or speak Most students at TEACH begin learning English from the alphabet and progress to higher education through the state board and later through Indira Gandhi National Open UniversityAiming for a better futureAs the board exams approach students like Fazlerab Shaikh 21 and Sunny Saroj 19 express a mix of nervousness and confidence ldquoMy father works at a construction site and my mother is a housewife Earlier people around me told me to finish SSC and look for work That made me feel bad But now I am confident I will pass the SSC exams and pursue higher education I want to get a job in a big corporate companyrdquo said ShaikhOver the past nine years TEACH has made remarkable progress ldquoOur initial plan was to enrol students in preparatory classes and prepare them for Std XII board examsrdquo says Sharma Not only has TEACH achieved that goal but it has also coached students up to universitylevel exams with job placements being their next major objectiveSharma added ldquoWe realised these students lack role models and posteducation plans Many aspire to get a job after finishing Std XII or graduation However as more students pursue higher education they will aim for MBA or masterrsquos degrees Clarity of thought was lacking but we want to see them become independent and plan their careersrdquoTeaching specialneeds students requires extra resources and effort especially when society underestimates their potential ldquoWe coach them to dream bigger We teach basic English Math Computers and behavioural skills to help them cope with frustration low selfesteem and communication difficulties Many of these students come from vernacular backgrounds so we had to start from scratchrdquo Sharma concluded12No of students from TEACH appearing for SSC exam this yearBoard HelplinesThe Mumbai Divisional Board has set up a control room for examination queries The helpline will be operational from February 4 2025 and will be available daily from 9 AM to 7 PMFor any examinationrelated inquiries students and parents can reach out via the following helpline numbers0222789375602227881075Control room support teamThe control room is staffed with dedicated officers and counsellors to assist with various examinationrelated concernsAppointed OfficialsAssistant Superintendent and Assistant Secretary Kalpana Pawar9423476023Assistant SuperintendentCharushila Adhav9890261046Counselling support teamShrikant Shingare In office9869634765Muralidhar More In office7977919850 9322105618Hayalij V K9423947266Anil Kumar Gadhe9969038020Vikas Jadhav9867874623Vinod Panhalkar9527587789Sanjay Jadhav9422594844 9657079344Chandrakant Mundhe8169699204Ashok Sarode9322527076 8888830139Shailaja Mulye9820646115Sheikh Akhlakh Ahmed A Razzak9967329370Sneha Chavan8369015013Ujwala Zare9920125827