Education of CWSN — Hard

Q1. Consider the following statements about Specific Learning Disability (SLD): I. SLD children exhibit poor academic performance even though they do not have any intellectual or other disability. II. SLD arises from a neurological condition that affects information processing. III. SLD is fully covered under the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. IV. Symptoms of SLD include problems with attention, memory, reasoning and organising oneself. Which combination is correct?

• A. I, II and III only
• B. I, II and IV only
• C. II, III and IV only
• D. I, III and IV only

Q2. Assertion (A): A Class 7 child with cerebral palsy is able to learn the same content as her peers but may struggle in coordination, mobility and speech. Reason (R): If the same child also has intellectual disability, she may additionally exhibit the learning characteristics of intellectual disability. Which is correct?

• A. A is false, but R is true.
• B. A is true, but R is false.
• C. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
• D. Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A.

Q3. Meena, an upper-primary teacher in Patna, has a hearing-impaired Class 7 student in her front row. While teaching, she keeps turning her back to write on the blackboard and continues speaking. The MOST appropriate professional advice for Meena is

• A. Use only oral instructions because the child can hear at a higher volume.
• B. Face the class while talking so the child can look at her face and lip-read, and supplement with chalkboard and visuals.
• C. Make the child sit at the back so he does not get distracted.
• D. Stop using the chalkboard entirely as it confuses the hearing-impaired child.

Q4. If a hearing-impaired Class 6 student does not have a prescribed hearing aid, the teacher's correct duty is to

• A. Buy the aid herself out of personal funds, since it is her moral duty.
• B. Wait until the parents can afford one, even if it takes years.
• C. Insist on the child being assessed by the government team that certifies and provides the aid free of cost.
• D. Mark the child as 'cannot be taught' and refer him out of the regular school.

Q5. In upper-primary classrooms, a child with disability may be left with 'a permanent scar in his mind, damaging his personality forever'. Which combination of factors does the unit name as the cause of this scar?

• A. Strict timetable, formative evaluation and computer-based testing
• B. Low self-esteem due to the disability, lack of peer approval, and sometimes the teacher ignoring the child
• C. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Block Resource Centres and the no-retention policy
• D. Three-language policy, large class size and the Right to Education Act

Q6. Why does the three-language policy in Indian schools become a particular barrier for children with hearing impairment and SLD, and what relief has been allowed?

• A. Such children find languages easy, so they are given a fourth language to challenge them further.
• B. Such children are exempted from the medium of instruction itself.
• C. Such children have difficulty learning all three languages, and Boards of Secondary Education permit them to drop a language; they need not do the third language.
• D. Such children must continue all three languages; no relief is permitted by any board.

Q7. An upper-primary teacher claims, 'Every curricular adaptation I do for a CWSN is an accommodation, because the content stays the same.' Which of the following is the best critique of her claim?

• A. She is wrong — modification, by definition, involves changes in content or standards itself (e.g., less content, substitution with another subject, different objectives or different evaluation pattern), so it is not the same as accommodation.
• B. She is correct — accommodation and modification are interchangeable terms in the unit.
• C. She is correct — all adaptations leave content untouched.
• D. She is wrong because only omission is an adaptation; accommodation is not.

Q8. Distinguish between 'substitution' and 'enhancement' in material adaptation. Which pair correctly identifies them?

• A. Substitution = adding extra content; Enhancement = removing existing content
• B. Substitution = omitting a content area and adding another in its place; Enhancement = use of material and strategies to increase comprehension and retention of learnt content over time
• C. Substitution = giving the same printed book; Enhancement = giving a smaller printed book
• D. Substitution = oral test; Enhancement = written test

Q9. An upper-primary teacher wants to decide whether her Class 7 CWSN needs further curricular adaptation. The best combination of assessment methods to inform this decision is

• A. Only the end-of-year formal written test
• B. Criterion-based assessment, ecological assessment, observation, anecdotal records, parent appraisal and the child's self-evaluation — used continuously in and out of the classroom
• C. Only the board's class X examination format
• D. Only the principal's annual report

Q10. Consider the Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007–2012) objectives for the education of all children including CWSN. Which one of the following is NOT a listed objective?

• A. Reduce dropout rate of children from elementary school from 52.2% in 2003-04 to 20% by 2011-12.
• B. Increase literacy rate for persons of age 7 years or above to 85%.
• C. Lower the gender gap in literacy to 10 percentage points.
• D. Establish a Block Resource Centre in every village panchayat by 2009-10.

Q11. Why do CWSN with mild disabilities, though admitted in regular schools, tend to drop out? Which of the following best reflects the reason?

• A. Their parents are uniformly opposed to inclusive education.
• B. The regular school teachers are not trained to deal with these children, so the rejection is high and the child tends to drop out.
• C. The government has banned them from regular schools.
• D. The school buildings are physically inaccessible — and that is the ONLY reason.

Q12. An upper-primary teacher in a Bihar school teaches a Class 6 child the concept of 'addition' using two marbles + three marbles. The child correctly adds marbles but cannot apply the same idea to two pencils + three pencils. The TLM in this case has failed on which criterion?

• A. Age-appropriateness
• B. Active participation
• C. Transfer of training — the material should help the child generalise the concept across contexts
• D. Cost and availability

Q13. Consider the following statements about peer tutoring in an inclusive Class 7: I. Peer tutoring can be used at all grade levels and with all kinds of disabilities. II. Peer tutoring requires training of all the students involved. III. Peer tutoring works only between two CWSN; ordinary students cannot tutor a CWSN. IV. Peer tutoring is more effective than cooperative learning in every situation. Which combination is CORRECT?

• A. II and III only
• B. III and IV only
• C. I and II only
• D. I, III and IV only

Q14. Reema, an itinerant teacher, is starting home-based education for an 11-year-old child with severe multiple disabilities living in a tribal hamlet. The CORRECT sequence of her first four steps is

• A. Enrol the child in a residential school → train the parents → maintain records → leave
• B. Give the child assistive devices → ask the family to teach themselves → return after one year → review only
• C. Visit home and appraise the child & environment → fix periodicity & suitable time with the family → do detailed assessment & prepare an educational plan with goals → identify a family member as 'trainer' and teach strategies through demonstration
• D. Take the child to the block district headquarters once a week → conduct group teaching → award certificate → close case

Q15. Home-based education is justified by appealing to a constitutional/legal principle. Which of the following best captures that justification?

• A. Home-based education is cheaper than school education, so it should be preferred for all CWSN.
• B. Home-based education is for children whose parents do not wish them to attend school.
• C. Home-based education is meant to replace inclusive schooling for all CWSN, not supplement it.
• D. Because education is a fundamental right of every child in our country, for children with severe disabilities who cannot reach the school, it is appropriate that education reaches their door step.