Slow learners look towards the CM Punjab

The problem of learning disabilities is on the rise in Pakistan. Some 30 percent of the school going children is facing the problem. There is an urgent need to invest in education and training of slow learners.

Slow learner is a term people use to describe a student who has the ability to learn necessary academic skills, but at a rate and depth below average same age peers. In order to grasp new concepts, a slow learner needs more time, more repetition, and often more resources from teachers to be successful. Reasoning skills are typically delayed, which makes new concepts difficult to learn.

A non-responsive behaviour of the government is pushing more and more students out of mainstream school system. It could be judged from the fact that the Punjab government has recently spent billions of rupees on distribution of free laptops among brilliant students. But not a single penny has been extended out of this huge fund to the slow learners. There is no doubt that the policy of merit was followed in the process and the deserving students are benefited from the scheme. But the question arises as to how the Punjab government can deny that it has distributed laptops among students to fulfil its political agenda of attracting youngsters against the PTI.

All right, no problem in doing so if the young students are benefited from such tactics. It will definitely be helpful in excelling their academic skills. However, it is also a bare fact that one big reason for high dropout rate in Punjab is due to the fact that there is no facility of remedial education in mainstream schools, both public and private.

Majority of students lose interest in education as they cannot cope with education system and grasp the lengthy syllabus due to their mental incapacities, mainly due to ADD, ADHD and dyslexia. The Punjab government has spent too little so far to deal with this problem despite the fact that the Chief Minister Punjab has always been very responsive to the public miseries.

However, he has failed to meet expectations of slow learners. For example, no serious effort has been made is recruiting qualified and trained teachers to deal with the problem of dropouts. The Punjab education department has failed to understand that the problem of high dropouts cannot be addressed through routine measures. The existing teaching staff is not trained to deal with slow learners. Resultantly, the slow learners are being ignored in mainstream education system. Dealing with such students requires a motherly attitude. Those who teach and train slow learners are actually very chosen people of God. They not only carry a peculiar heart but they also have the passion to change the destiny of slow learners.

Secondly, the government should also support the private sector education institutions to dealing with slow learners. One such organisation is the Foundation for Rehabilitation & Education of Slow Children (FRESH) working for education and training of teachers for remedial education. It is not easy for the Foundation to handle heavy influx of slow learners with meagre resources. It also has no permanent campus. Instead, it is shifting from one place to another due to financial constraints. There are a few philanthropists funding the expenditures of the Foundation since day one. It is not easy for the parents of these students to bear with heavy fees.

Allotment of a permanent piece of land by the Punjab government will be helpful to the future needs of the Foundation. Also, there is need of a state of the art Teachers’ Training Institution where experts on learning disabilities can be trained for on regular basis. A financial help from the Punjab government in this regard will be very meaningful to secure the future of slow learners. And last but not the least; the Chief Minister Punjab should spend time with these students to highlight the problem of learning disabilities in the society.

ASHBA KAMRAN

Lahore