He would wonder why he couldn’t make the grade despite putting in a lot of hard work, Bhavani told FMT.
Her son, whom she calls AK, is 16-years-old and will be sitting for the PT3 assessment examination at the end of this year.
According to Bhavani, AK’s condition makes it difficult for him to retain in memory the lessons he is taught in school.
She recently wrote to the Education Ministry, asking it to allow him certain aids when he sits for the PT3 exam.
She acknowledged that her appeal to the ministry may be perceived as unfair by some parents of normal children, but she said the issue was “about getting a child on his feet, getting him to face the world with confidence, and letting him know that his existence is meant to be more than just scoring in his examinations”.
“Having been a school teacher and a lecturer, I find there is a big number of students who get left behind in class year after year, and they are often branded as slow learners,” she added.
She said one problem with the country’s education system was that it appeared to operate on the presumption that “one size fits all”.
“Children who are not academically inclined due to various interferences are forced to endure a certain number of years in school. This puts enormous strain on such kids. In the end, we have demotivated kids who, after every examination, feel totally unwanted and inferior.”
She also said the term “slow learner” should not be used to describe everyone with a learning disability. According to her, a slow learner is someone whose thinking skills have developed significantly slower than normal. He will go through the same basic developmental stages as other children do, but at a significantly slower rate.
“On the other hand, a child with a specific learning disability is one of average or above average intelligence who has specific difficulties which can make learning very difficult,” she said.
“There may be deficits in any of the basic central nervous system functions that have to do with the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities.
“In short, there is a discrepancy between the child’s potential and actual achievement. While slow learners may make it later in their life with remedial activities, a learning disability needs intervention.”
Bhavani is extending the appeal she made to the Education Ministry to cover all children that are suffering from learning disabilities.
She is calling for a fresh and comprehensive look at special education. “Is there an option for such children if they are not academically inclined? What kind of school leaving certificates can we offer these kids, and what is such a certificate worth for them to make it in working life.”