Author: Silvia Mascarenhas | Feb 02, 2016
Over the last few weeks, I have been feeling dismayed, thinking about a young person I met at Sethu. Rohan (name changed) is 16 years of age, studying in Std 9 in a well established school. What’s disturbing is that he has been studying in the same class in the same school for the last three years!
Rohan loves computers, is very good with electrical jobs and has fixed his father’s mobile phone. Clearly he is intelligent, but because of his inability to read and write (most likely due to Specific Learning Disability), he is unable to clear his exams to go to the next class. As per the Government rule he was promoted year after year till this point! Now, in Std 9, the rule does not apply anymore and hence Rohan has ‘failed’ and continues to do so, year after year.
Please do not misunderstand me. It is NOT the ‘No Detention’ policy that is the problem. Detention is not the cure for poor scholastic performance. Fear of examinations cannot be a motivation for the exciting journey of learning. The burning questions are many. Why did no one notice him struggling to learn and try to determine the cause? Why was he not referred for further assessment and the necessary help? Can you even imagine how hard it must have been for him to go through school, unable to read or write meaningfully? Rohan has never received any special attention, remediation, modified assessments, concessions – nothing! All of these are his right, by the way. Rohan wants to study and he definitely can, with the required assistance. I want to stand on a rooftop and shout!
Please don’t ignore it, when your children are struggling with their studies at home or at school. Don’t feel ashamed of your child’s learning problems but talk about it to the right people. No child wants to do badly in school. Persistent poor performance cannot be helped just by scolding or reminding children to study! There is always an underlying reason and a remedy for every problem. Every child can succeed in school!