Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Learning Disability: one size does not fit all
This is about time that we did something to change this situation...
Indian Express- Columns - Alliance of diverse minds
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Too many children struggle as the way in which they learn is not compatible with the way they are taught
Sonya Philip
It’s India’s “silent condition”. Condition, not illness — what can be called being learning disabled. Teachers know it exists among 15 to 20 per cent of their students, parents know it affects their children’s sense of self-worth because those who suffer from this condition are often marked for life with labels of being “stupid,” “lazy” or, worse still, “dumb”. But nobody much wants to discuss this in any sustained manner, perhaps out of shame or more likely out of ignorance about how to address the situation effectively. It scarcely figures in our national discourse on education.
Children who are learning disabled could be actually quite smart. Need evidence? Here are some people who were learning disabled and yet managed to do quite well in adulthood: Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill and, more contemporaneously, Richard Branson. Include in this list our very own luminaries, Mahatma Gandhi, J. Krishnamurthi, R.K. Laxman and Gulzar.
Students with learning disabilities often do not succeed academically because of the “one size fits all” approach to teaching that we’ve adopted in India. Moreover, there’s an absence of expertise and teacher training in the learning sciences; there are very few programmes aimed at assisting teachers to meet the specific learning needs of students.............
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Indian Express- Columns - Alliance of diverse minds
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Too many children struggle as the way in which they learn is not compatible with the way they are taught
Sonya Philip
It’s India’s “silent condition”. Condition, not illness — what can be called being learning disabled. Teachers know it exists among 15 to 20 per cent of their students, parents know it affects their children’s sense of self-worth because those who suffer from this condition are often marked for life with labels of being “stupid,” “lazy” or, worse still, “dumb”. But nobody much wants to discuss this in any sustained manner, perhaps out of shame or more likely out of ignorance about how to address the situation effectively. It scarcely figures in our national discourse on education.
Children who are learning disabled could be actually quite smart. Need evidence? Here are some people who were learning disabled and yet managed to do quite well in adulthood: Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill and, more contemporaneously, Richard Branson. Include in this list our very own luminaries, Mahatma Gandhi, J. Krishnamurthi, R.K. Laxman and Gulzar.
Students with learning disabilities often do not succeed academically because of the “one size fits all” approach to teaching that we’ve adopted in India. Moreover, there’s an absence of expertise and teacher training in the learning sciences; there are very few programmes aimed at assisting teachers to meet the specific learning needs of students.............
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