Is your child above the average?

Our education system has done nothing to identify exceptional pupils. Children who are curious and question everything around them are usually not very popular. It is high time our education system catered to the interests of this section of students too, writes Vatsala Vedantam

When a parent writes “I have a gifted child, and need help,” you cannot ignore it. We have special schools for handicapped children like the mentally retarded, the physically disabled, the blind and the hearing impaired. We have provided special institutions for autistic children or those who suffer dyslexia. But, rarely do we realise that children who are brilliant, above average or exceptionally talented need the same care and concern from teachers and parents. They have to be identified in the first place. These children have something that sets them apart from others. They may be artistic and endowed with special skills. Or, they may have outstanding learning and retention powers. Or, they may be highly motivated to learn something new and master it too.  Such children need to be appropriately challenged. When they are ignored, or their potential goes unrecognised, they may even fall back in school and — ironically — become poor achievers.

Historical evidence

History has recorded several instances of geniuses who were academically backward, yet brilliant in their special field of activity. Albert Einstein who turned science upside down with his startling theories, the Wright brothers who invented the airplane and Charlie Chaplin, the greatest actor of all times, were all school dropouts or scholastic failures. Nearer home, our best known writer, RK Narayan, confesses that he was a back bencher in his school days.

Disinterested in the subjects taught by uninspiring teachers, he even failed in the college entrance examination and took four years to get his bachelor’s degree!  Why, even the great mathematician Ramanujan consistently flunked in arithmetic when his teachers failed to recognise his extraordinary genius. Just as in later life, he managed to get a Grade IV clerk’s job in the Port Trust of India, while his real work was waiting to be recognised by the world!

Our education system has done nothing to identify exceptional pupils. Teachers in schools are happy when pupils faithfully repeat what was taught in the classroom. Children who are curious and question everything around them are  usually not very popular.  It is the same in college too. A student who diligently reproduces what the lecturer dictated from some obsolete notes, is called a “good” student. Whereas, a young man or woman who dares to think differently and tries to explore unchartered territory is labeled a “weak” student. Our inability to recognise merit makes us insensible to talent and genius. It is high time that our education system was overhauled to cater to the interests of all pupils — the average, the below average and the above average. It should create an environment that is able to distinguish the heightened sensibilities of gifted youngsters who would otherwise fail in the deadened atmosphere of one common yardstick for all. I recall a very talented student of architecture in Bangalore University who failed continuously in drawing, despite being an excellent artist. Her examiners simply failed to recognise her extraordinary ability to visualise and conceptualise architecture. Another student in the same university was dubbed a failure by his mentors because he chose to think innovatively while studying engineering concepts.

High achievers

Such students sometimes become high achievers in life when they are given the opportunity to learn and excel without restrictions. Have we not come across students who fared miserably in local college tests and exams, but scored high percentiles in competitive entrance tests like the GRE or GMAT which examine a person’s ability to think independently? The university examinations did not reflect their true capability. They are the ones who missed classes that bored them to tears. They skipped lectures that taught them nothing new. They were failures in a system that did not recognise their “giftedness.” Similarly in school, such pupils may never win prizes. They are either bored or distracted. The books they have to read do not excite them. The classroom activities do not challenge them. Their teachers do not inspire them. Parents should watch out for these tell tale signs. Instead of approaching the school authorities to “set things right,” why not assess the child’s potential to innovate, create or achieve beyond the walls of the classroom? Why not think of new ways to challenge the child’s  individuality?  If they cannot find a special school for gifted children, they should move the child to a higher class where things will be more challenging. This may very likely bring in other issues like the eligibility of the pupil for the school final examination, or the sheer strain of having to cope with older classmates that may become physically challenging too. Since we do not have special schools for gifted children as in countries like the USA, the best option may be to look out for alternate schooling that allows every pupil to progress at his or her own pace. We have quite a few viable alternate schools now which cater to such children.

But the chief responsibility of the parent is to understand the child and her needs. Parents should never punish children who are poor achievers in school or college. Since schools judge their pupils by their academic abilities alone, they tend to ignore the non academic ones like music, writing, art or technical/mechanical skills. It is for the parents to notice if a child is curious, rips apart everything to see what is inside to make it work; is artistic in daily activities including ordinary tasks; is highly motivated to learn and perform tasks beyond her age; or, demonstrates exceptional memory and observation skills, it is time for such parents to act — especially if that child is faring poorly in the classroom and teachers complain about his/her lack of interest in studies. Who knows? There may be a gifted child right in your house who is ready to go out into a world that recognises genius and talent.