Dear Editor,
I continue to be dismayed at the pronouncements from the Ministry of Education since the last elections. I understand that there is a young Minister who is eager to show the nation that she is doing something. However, the views emanating from the Minister are worrying to me as a parent and someone who was involved in the teaching profession for 5 years.
The Minister has been quoted in your online edition of January 14 as saying that if truants have stayed away from school because they are not academically inclined then their “talent or interest should be identified” (‘No child left behind’ policy to be reviewed – Manickchand’). I would like to respectfully ask how one ascertains if a child is not academically inclined?
I am yet to meet a child who is not academically inclined. What I do know is that some children have difficulties with a particular teaching method and/or have learning disabilities and are therefore unable to cope in the regular classroom where there is no differentiated learning. Instead of testing for learning disabilities which are linked to disruptions and truancy and setting up special schools to accommodate the needs of these children, the ministry, as I understand from your newspaper, will place them in technically based programmes.
I am not sure that these kids will do well in technical progammes if the fundamental issue of why they were/are playing truant is not addressed (there may be family issues in addition to learning problems). I would also like to point out that all children should be given a minimum level of education whether they are academically inclined or not. My former principal used to say there are no children who cannot learn, only teachers who cannot teach.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address
provided)
