"A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE"

MINIMAL effort is all that is required to understand multiple deprivations many vulnerable South African children confront from birth. These include, but are not necessarily limited to, poor nutrition, disease, violence, abuse, neglect and squalid living conditions. The social ills children face decidedly affect literacy rates. According to the Minister of Basic Education the national average performance in 2012 among Grade 3 children in literacy was 35%. Performance rates have not meaningfully improved since 2012. How then do we attack the deleterious effects of illiteracy and its unwanted progeny of low educational achievement, wasted human potential and resources? One solution lies in providing additional individualized support for children having difficulty with English as a second language. There are plenty 'at risk' children who struggle in a large class environment. Individualized tutoring serves as a bridge for these children to get up to speed. In this respect, Shine Centers, a non-profit organisation, bridges the gap, using trained volunteers, who tutor English reading, writing and speaking skills in keeping with its ethos that each individual matters. Having tutored at a primary school affiliated Shine Centre for some months, improvement in learner performance is achievable. One learner, Fikile, (pseudonym) who could otherwise charm the birds out of their nests, presents a challenge. Suffice to say, he is a child with special needs and requires the intervention of a special education professional. Here is the rub: the school does not have a special education professional on staff, nor is it likely that one can be provided by the Education Department for the foreseeable future, if at all. The need for special education especially for children in their formative years cannot be over-emphasised. Their lives do change for the better. My son is a case in point - he needed special education at a very young age to open his window of understanding. Today he is a Ph.D in molecular biology. Refusing to accept the status quo, I contacted Fikile's grandmother, his care person. She was unaware of her grandson's lack of progress, or the need for further inquiry into his learning disability, pointing out that she has never been contacted by his teachers. The family will take exigent corrective action, but what about the many children whose learning disabilities are never detected, or addressed by school teachers, administrators, or bureaucrats either through neglect, disinterest, ignorance, or lack of funding? Educating children with learning disabilities is not considered a priority when compared to the myriad of overwhelming problems facing the country's educational system. The lack of priority raises the implication that children with special needs are regarded as incapable, and lacking in potential. Nothing is further from the truth as "a mind is a terrible thing to waste". The dialogue surrounding special education must be personalised, encouraged and respected. It is emblematic of a society that values equal opportunity, in education, in human dignity and hope. South Africa's educational system can and must embrace all of these qualities.