CBSE to provide exam calculators to ensure uniformity

NAGPUR: After announcing that students with dyscalculia (difficulty in learning or comprehending) can use calculators during exams, the CBSE said on Wednesday that the board itself will provide the gadget.
The CBSE move will ensure uniformity in the type of calculators being used. This comes as a big relief for school principals who did not have a clarity on the type of calculators to be permitted inside the examination hall.
Sanyam Bhardwaj, controller of examination for CBSE, told TOI that the board is already working on the logistics."We are waiting to see how many applications will be submitted. Based on this, we will ship out the calculators to schools and exam centres," he said.
TOI had reported on Wednesday about CBSE's historic move to allow calculators for students with dyscalculia. Many principals had expressed concern over the nitty-gritty of its implementation as the CBSE's circular had only mentioned 'basic arithmetic calculator'.
Some principals told TOI that the CBSE "must mention the brand and model number of calculator to be used so that there's no ruckus during the exam".
Now, the CBSE itself has decided to provide calculators. Bhardwaj said, "There are different type of calculators available in the market and you never know which a student would bring. So, it's better for us to provide them."
ICSE schools too prefer to retain control over the calculators used by their students during board exams. Raziya Hussain, principal of MSB Institute, said, "The school purchases the calculators and keeps it as part of the inventory. They are used as and when required by students during exams."
Another student-friendly move by CBSE is to keep the calculator option open for all related subjects. Since it was not mentioned in the earlier circular, many principals felt it was restricted only to math. Bhardwaj said, "Students can use it for physics too. We feel a majority will probably use it for math only."
January 28 is the last day for students to apply for use of calculator. All requests have to be sent to the school principal. CBSE has clarified that this facility is available to only those students who have already registered themselves under the "children with special needs" category.