- Future generations at risk
It is a pertinent fact that whenever creative children in our school systems try something different by using their creative abilities, they have to face harassment and discouragement.
We have no idea how much that child is suppressed by under-qualified, untrained and ignorant teachers who do not even know the latest teaching methodologies.
Their primary motivation for being a teacher is to earn their bread and butter rather than a passion for training the future generations.
Such teachers have failed to deliver the skills and knowledge to students in order to allow them to cope with social challenges.
According to experts, teachers should be trained on a bi-annual basis. They should be able to demonstrate passion about teaching and critically evaluate why some students underperform.
According to research, approximately 98 per cent of teachers in Pakistan’s education sector teach not due to passion but to earn a living. Such teachers therefore often resort to forcing students in their classrooms to attend tuition centers where they teach.
About ninety percent of the children with high IQ and creative abilities are affected by this system. Furthermore, pressure from parents often forces students to opt for professions they do not find interesting. Such students end up being involved in corrupt practices due to lack of interest e.g. in the police force or as bureaucrats.
The fourth and fifth methods help students suffering from Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, ADHD, slow processing speed and executive functioning issues
Here in Pakistan we know education syllabus is also different in all provinces, and children have no idea why the burden of syllabus is imposed on them. We have four languages (English, Urdu, Arabic and one native language) being taught, but not even one expert is provided as a teacher at schools for proper teaching of these languages to students.
Teachers also don’t know about important teaching methods, thereby harming the self-esteem of some students. One of my friends’ children was having issues at school due to slow learning speed as he could not cope with the fast teaching style of the instructor. However, it was a psychologist who ultimately resolved the matter.
Many methodologies can help teachers understand the children and their behavioral issues. For example, a teacher must give some time allowing the students to understand the question before a response is elicited.
Kids with ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) can get benefit from the wait time.
Another method is multisensory instruction, in which at one time more than one senses are used for teaching. Students with Dyslexia (students with having struggle in reading), Dyscalculia (students struggling with mathematics), Dysgraphia (handwriting issues) and ADHD can be helped with this approach.
The third method is instruction and demonstration where a teacher directs and then performs the directive himself in order to allow the students to understand before they perform the instruction themselves.
The fourth method is graphic modelling, which uses graphics to identify relationships between concepts. Venn diagrams and flow charts are examples of these.
The fifth method is group size variation where the instructor varies the size of the student group in order to allow the students to understand the instructions properly.
The fourth and fifth methods help students suffering from Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, ADHD, slow processing speed and executive functioning issues.
The sixth technique is known as Universal Design, which provides space for individual students to learn in a flexible manner. For example, students with ADHD are sometimes allowed to use headphones in class in order to avoid distraction, students with executive functioning issues are directed to write on a whiteboard and students with dyslexia are directed to use audio books. Similarly, those with dysgraphia are instructed to use presentations to boost learning.
Let’s see when a new teaching policy is formed in Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ‘Naya Pakistan’, and how much reforms for the betterment of educational sector are implemented.
