It is no longer okay to ignore or remove under-performing students from a school. Schools must have a resource room to cater to children with learning disabilities, urges Dr Reena Silva Ryall
If school managements are wondering about the cost of setting up a resource room, they shouldn’t. And here’s why: It is an investment for the future of children, and a true commitment to education.
Does anyone question the need for a nurse on a school premise? All support systems eventually contribute to good schooling and a healthy environment.
The classroom is becoming increasingly a hotbed of myriad complexities and complexes, with children requiring support beyond academics. Many have emotional problems, behavioural issues that need sorting out, and a few have learning difficulties that cannot be overcome without learning support.
The resource room is a classroom where a special education programme can be delivered to a student with a learning difficulty. It is for those students who belong to a regular class but need some special instructions in an individualised or small group setting for a portion of the day.
This form of a “pull out” system, where a child attends a session in the resource room during a light period of the day such as singing or PT, receives individual help in a weak area of learning such as reading or writing.
In countries like the UK and France, it is mandatory by law to provide learning support. The resource room meets individual needs. It is less distracting than a regular classroom, and children work in small groups. In analysing the factors that contribute to the success of a resource room it is evident that:
*Decision-making belongs to the respective individual: If this can be respected, it is a boon, as often teachers and parents influence the decision-making process by either insisting on more or less time in the resource room. The teacher in the resource room is the best person to decide when a child can stop coming or when a child needs to put in additional time inside the resource room.
*Documentation is the key: A good resource room will have all the necessary documentation in place. This will include a separate file for each child containing an assessment report, an Individual Educational Programme (IEP) for every three to four months, lesson plans for every week, and worksheets completed by the child. It is tedious but a treasure trove as one can thumb through the file and actually see the extent of progress in terms of higher goals and increased accuracy of spelling and written work.
*The purpose is about meeting a need: Schools that question the need for a resource room, must understand that there is a need and it is important and wise to recognise it and meet the need before it goes out of hand. It is not right to throw children out of school simply because they learn differently. A more humane approach would be to teach them in different ways so that they learn. Schools with resource rooms should be lauded for taking this step.
Case study
St Joseph’s Boys High School, Museum Road, Bangalore, was founded in 1858. A year ago, a resource room was opened. At St Joseph’s, apart from teachers, there are several professionals like counsellors, life-skill trainers and special educators. There is a smooth relationship between all with a motto of non-interference coupled with respect and co-ordination.
It is amazing what professionalism can do to build a network of support for the entire school. The special educator meets the class teachers regularly, updating them on the child’s progress as well as enquiring about the child’s classroom performance. She has a clear idea about the profile of children to be enrolled in the resource room and refers others to the counsellor if she suspects the issue is behavioural rather than academic.
The principal takes administrative-related decisions such as how many hours the resource room will be open for or up to what grades help can be offered. Technical decisions are solely in the hands of the educational consultant and special educator. Here exists a policy of supporting a child for at least one full-term, and if the child shows steady progress and has picked up adequate skills then he/she can reduce time to once a week, and gradually be weaned to once a month for study skill input. The facilities that should be offered in every school are:
*Support staff for special education.
*Collaborative opportunities between staff, special educators and parents.
*Training and awareness to all staff members.
*Experienced consulting support to build a good foundation, as well carry it through the initial years.
*Space to work in, adequate infrastructure to establish the process.
*Structured yet free spirited environment.
The resource room at St Joseph’s School has been set up by the Brindavan Education Trust.