How unsettling it was to have a mother and father relate to me the learning troubles of their year 3 boy in a Western Australian (WA) government primary school. This occurred at a function we were attending.
This youngster has several learning issues such that each one is not sufficient on its own to diagnose that this is his key problem. Hidden in there are autism, an inability to express in writing what he knows and major difficulty in learning to read. He is to all intents a great little boy who is placed in a normal stream classroom. He creates a major challenge for the teacher who has 27 others in her class. He has a special chair called a 'wobbly' so that he can accommodate his need to be in some sort of regular motion. In short he can't sit still for long. Apparently although I have not had time to check this there is an Education Department regulation that states he cannot be assessed for significant one on one Aide time until he is 8. This means another 6 months of struggle.
In 2016 he had a teacher who was, according to the mother, managing his learning successfully. His case was also being overseen by a Deputy Principal of the school. Things were going reasonably well even though he almost certainly would have been better off with significant one on one Aide time.
In 2017 he has a new teacher and the mentor Deputy has left the school. His new teacher is struggling to manage his situation and according to Mum has begun to brand him as naughty. She makes him sit on a normal chair as punishment for his perceived naughtiness this removing the prop of his 'wobbly'. The mother reported to me that from her inquiry his new teacher had not read the handover notes from the previous year, although I only have her word for this. I know her and she is a pretty with it person. Somehow no-one seems in 2017 to be managing his case as was the previous Deputy Principal.
The mother reported to me that her son is in a real flap because of the looming NAPLAN tests (...compulsory legislated testing of students in years 3, 7 and 9 in maths, literacy, science). These tests are done right across all Australian primary and secondary schools and schools are judged to some extent on how well they are doing based on the NAPLAN results. There is much concern out there on the air waves that these tests are like the tail wagging the dog for school Principals. Politicians are in a tizz about the results as they see Australian students slipping down the international comparison tables in literacy skills, maths and science. It's a league tables' mentality.
At the same time as I was told about this lad another guest at the function I was attending had heard what was said by the mother. This guest is a practising teacher in an independent private school and she related to me how her school was in training preparation for the coming NAPLAN tests. This is part of the reason this testing program is so strongly criticised. The test items are only now being based on the relatively new Australian National Curriculum : a step in the right direction in me view. Prior to that they were based on criteria/standards agreed to by the States. Schools should not have to do special preparation for these tests. They should proceed as per normal with the students being given every opportunity to achieve the learning outcomes as in the prescribed curriculum. The tests come along and the students do them without all this build up. The results can be used to reset the learning directions for those who need this while this who do well just get on with it.
The young lad in question should not be made to do these tests and it is up to the school Principal to stand firm and report to the relevant authorities the few students who he deems should be exempt and for these reasons. The lad could do the tests but it would require very skilled teachers to make him believe that they are not a big deal and just help the teacher to better assist him.
I advised the parents to go to the school Principal and discuss in a constructive way how someone should replace the previous Deputy mentor to get this boy's learning back on track. That they be given a plan and made to feel confident that the teacher could be advised and assisted how best to manage the lad's learning. I advised no criticism of the teacher as she is under the pump with this lad.
The really tough one was my advice that they beg the Principal to bring on immediate comprehensive professional assessment for the lad so that he can be assigned significant one on one Aide time. This would help the lad no end and assist the teacher to cope. It is urgent and must be made to happen. This is what being a Principal is all about. As a Principal in the Western Australian government school system at a time when the Central Department edicts reigned supreme across the vast state of WA it was refreshing how much the influence of me as the Principal could massage the Central Office to obtain what my school needed to be effective. In these more recent times of many government schools being deemed as independent government schools the Principal's power for arguing the case against the stay of assessment for the lad in question should be stronger than in my day.
A small but true anecdote to lighten what is a very serious situation. A colleague of mine who was Principal of a WA government primary school had requisitioned central Office for a hose but was getting nowhere with his request. His response was to send in a requisition for an elephant. He was later my Superintendent and carried out a triennial inspection of my school. A daunting experience but in his hands a constructive exercise to enhance the effectiveness of my school.
May the Force be with that family and the school professionals.
GD
