The repeated use of a word can dilute its meaning. This is precisely what’s happening with “remedial.” In schools, it often feels like a last-minute attempt to fix learning gaps, akin to the Kauravas’ trickery against Abhimanyu in the Mahabharata. Initiatives fueled by initial enthusiasm, like Abhimanyu’s bravery, may lack the structure to endure.
The reasons for this are multifaceted. The primary dilemma lies in choosing between completing the syllabus (textbook content) or fostering reading and writing skills. Caught in this confusion, remedial work often descends into a rote, bureaucratic exercise. Is withholding information truly detrimental? Independent reading can spark some inherent curiosity and knowledge gain. However, imparting information in a classroom setting remains our comfort zone – and a relatively easy task. The real challenge lies in providing each child the opportunity to learn at their own pace.
Every teacher desires all students to master reading, writing, and basic math with comprehension. When this doesn’t occur, a sense of guilt plagues most teachers. Yet, instead of seeking solutions, many revert to traditional classroom methods. Before initiating remedial work this time, consider the diverse reasons behind reading, writing, and math challenges. These reasons differ across classes and individual students. Identifying these roadblocks should be our first priority.
Traditionally, class teachers handle reading and writing instruction. This leads to faster learners progressing quickly, while those who struggle experience a decline in self-esteem. As an experiment, one month of remedial lessons was divided and assigned to students across grades 5-8 based on their learning pace. This fostered confidence in their abilities as the work matched their individual pace and skill level. It will be interesting to observe their performance back in their regular classrooms.
Learning from Experience
This experience revealed a crucial truth: all our year-round efforts to ensure all students read fluently should be an integral part of our curriculum, not a separate intervention.
Teacher’s Perspective:
A teacher, while on vacation, assigned students from grades 6 and 8 to sit together on a field one Saturday and read aloud paragraph by paragraph. During this session, a sixth-grader new to the school declared, “Sayeb, I can’t read this book!” The teacher’s response? “Just write it down in your notebook and read it from there.” The student fetched the notebook, revealing a few scribbled words. The teacher attempted to read with pursed lips, struggling. The words morphed into random syllables: “Naam, Mana, Magan, Jag.” The instruction continued, “Read now!” This resulted in open, tearful sobs. These were the tears that pierce a teacher’s heart – a student yearning to read, yet unable to. After persistent attempts, the only progress was the absence of tears. Now, whenever encountering “Nam,” the student hesitates and asks, “Is it Nam?” The teacher responds with a forced smile (internally questioning how long it will take for the student to grasp the concept), “Yes! Exactly ‘Nam’!”
Moving Forward:
We must acknowledge that this is not an isolated incident; similar cases exist across various learning categories.
The Responsibility Lies with Us:
The burden and the solution lie within the teaching community. Instead of simply reporting pre-existing efforts, let’s move towards a more effective and individualized approach to education. Let’s truly embody the spirit of “Bal Smitaya Namah”
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