Innovation in education, particularly in alternative schooling and personalised qualification pathways, has often been met with hesitation by sections of traditionally structured institutions. In some instances, limited familiarity with the rigour, legal compliance, and accreditation frameworks supporting such models has led to uncertainty in recognising learners who follow non-linear educational journeys.
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SASE has, from its inception, exercised careful due diligence to ensure that personalised learning pathways, inclusive education models, bridge courses, and credit transfer mechanisms are fully aligned with statutory and accreditation requirements. Despite formal recognition of the NWAC board’s high school certification by both the Government of India and the Government of Karnataka, a small number of higher education institutions were initially reluctant to treat learners transferring credits as equivalent to students from conventional schooling backgrounds.
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In response to this uncertainty, two separate writ petitions were filed before the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka in 2017 and 2018 by a cohort of 142 learners who had completed the American High School Diploma through inclusive and bridge-based learning pathways. On both occasions, the Hon’ble Court unequivocally upheld the recognition of the NWAC High School certification and affirmed the validity of the Class 10 and Class 12 qualifications offered through SASE.
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The Court further directed the concerned higher education institutions to treat the inclusive schooling qualifications issued by the NWAC board at the System for Alternative Schooling and Education as equivalent to the 2nd PUC or Class 12 standard, and to grant admission to undergraduate programmes accordingly. These decisions were grounded in the comprehensive recognition accorded to the NWAC board by the relevant state and central government authorities.
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For families with neurodiverse learners, these judgments offer clarity and assurance that personalised, inclusive educational pathways are not exceptions to the system, but legitimate and recognised routes to higher education. At SASE, this affirmation reinforces a long-held belief that education must serve the learner’s journey, while remaining firmly anchored in academic integrity, legal validity, and institutional responsibility.