In early January, three third-year senior high students from the Beijing School for the Visually Impaired told the Beijing Youth News that they wanted to participate in the annual national College entrance examination. Five months have passed. Fewer than four weeks before the exams are to take place between June 7 and June 9, the local daily newspaper reported that the three students have not been able to put their names on the exam roster. The authorities in charge of the application and examination have denied knowing about the students' applications. Meanwhile, officials with the municipal education bureau say they are still figuring out how to produce the exam papers and arrange for the visually impaired students to take the exam, how these students can finish their education once they are enrolled, and how they start work once they graduate. I have a feeling that these officials are not enthusiastic about removing hurdles to smooth the ways for the three teens to fulfil their aspiration of getting a mainstream college education. Take, for instance, the hurdle of producing exam papers. Jin Wanzhi, who teaches at the Beijing School for the Visually Impaired, has told the media that it would only take him some 40 hours to turn the exams into Braille. While the Beijing education officials claim they are still researching how and what to do, their colleagues in Shanghai have already accomplished most of their duties. Starting in 2002, Shanghai began to take applications from blind and visually impaired senior high school graduates. The courses for the exam - including Chinese, English (both written and listening), mathematics and history - and the exam papers are specially designed and printed in Braille. The applicants take exams on the same days between June 7 and 9, but at the specially designated location. Thanks to all these affirmative procedures, 26 visually impaired students - some who are totally blind - have enrolled in Shanghai Teachers' University and East China Normal University since 2002. Obviously, Shanghai has established a good system for Beijing to follow. Moreover, these officials are required by law - Law on the Protection of the Rights of the Disabled, which took effect more than 15 years ago - to facilitate the disabled people's rights to education, which includes going to mainstream colleges and universities. Beijing, the country's capital with far more resources in college education than any other provinces and regions, should have been the pioneer in assisting the disabled young people, the blind and visually impaired included, in realizing their dreams. The government is duty-bound to work harder to help those with disabilities join mainstream society instead of keeping them marginalized in their own isolated jobs and communities. It is heartening to read that the students and teachers are not giving up their efforts to realize their dreams. But the Beijing education officials have no excuse to continue to stall in their decision and preparation work. Email: lixing@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily 05/18/2006 page4)
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