Over 27,000 students who appeared for this year’s Kerala Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations wrote their papers with the assistance of scribes, prompting concerns over whether the provision is being misused, as reported in The New Indian Express.
According to information furnished by the General Education Department in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application, 27,325 students availed themselves of the scribe facility during the SSLC examinations held in March. The figure represents approximately 6.5% of the 4,14,270 students who appeared for the examinations. A total of 30,986 students had applied for the facility.
The unusually high number has sparked debate over whether the provision, intended to assist students with genuine disabilities and writing difficulties, is being used beyond its intended scope.
Responding to the concerns, Kerala General Education Minister N. Samsudheen said the department would examine the issue. He stated that the scribe facility is provided to students with disabilities and learning difficulties and that the government would assess whether the provision is being misused. However, he indicated that the government currently has no plans to amend the existing eligibility norms.
The figures have also drawn attention because they significantly exceed Kerala’s overall disability rate.
According to the ‘Report on Persons with Disabilities in Kerala’, published by the Department of Economics and Statistics in 2022 using data collected through the National Sample Survey conducted between July and December 2018, 2.6% of the state’s total population was identified as having disabilities.
Senior officials in the General Education Department maintained that the issue involves a complex policy matter rather than a simple administrative decision.
A senior department official stated that the number of students availing scribes has steadily increased in recent years. The official explained that scribes are provided to students who are unable to write properly because of intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities or recent physical trauma.
The official further stated that requests for scribes are evaluated by a medical board comprising four doctors, which determines whether a student genuinely requires writing assistance. Once the medical board approves an application, the Education Department has little role in reviewing or altering that decision.
According to officials, the medical board conducts detailed assessments during camps organised at District Education Officer offices or Samagra Shiksha Kerala Block Resource Centres.
For students claiming learning disabilities, officials said the board uses structured questionnaires to evaluate the students’ responses before deciding whether they qualify for the facility.
Another department official observed that these assessments are generally conducted only during the December-January period, shortly before the Class 10 board examinations. The official suggested that a more scientific approach would involve identifying and supporting such students much earlier in their academic journey rather than only at the time of the public examination.
Officials also disclosed that nearly 16,000 students who availed the facility this year possessed disability certificates certifying 40% or more disability.
The remaining students were believed to include those with intellectual disabilities, locomotor disabilities affecting writing ability, or those who had suffered temporary physical injuries such as fractures before the examinations.
District-wise data showed significant variation in the number of students using scribes.
Malappuram recorded the highest number, with 7,193 students availing the facility, followed by Ernakulam (2,977), Thrissur (2,835) and Palakkad (2,482).
At the other end of the spectrum, Pathanamthitta reported the lowest number, with 352 students using scribes during the SSLC examinations.
Under Kerala’s SSLC examination system, a scribe is appointed to assist candidates who are unable to write because of disabilities or physical trauma. The scribe reads out examination questions and writes exactly what the candidate dictates without offering any assistance in answering the questions.
In most cases, the scribe is a junior student, typically studying in Class 9, and is appointed only after the medical board certifies the student’s eligibility for the facility.
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