A discussion about the difficulty level and inclusivity of entrance exams and the admission process at private international schools sprung up recently when a parent shared her experience with a school on Twitter.
The parent alleged that the school had labelled her ward a ‘special child’ and a ‘failure’ after the child could not perform well on the entrance test, leading to a backlash by several parents on the internet who said that such experience affects the children’s psyche and mental health severely.
Exams put unnecessary stress
Few parents say that entrance examinations pile a lot of unnecessary pressure on young children and the system should be scrapped away entirely.
“Why are six-year-old children being subjected to JEE-level of stress? Every child is good at something, be it reading, painting, academia or any other skill altogether. It is the teachers’ and the schools’ job to guide them further and not make them feel small about their limitations. One test cannot assess all the students equally and why should the children be screened in the first place when they are going to the school to learn?” Pooja A, a parent of six-year-old student added.
Here’s what schools say
But educationists say that for students with special needs or any kind of intellectual or learning disabilities, most schools have separate mechanisms in place to ensure inclusive education.
“For any child with special needs, we do not even conduct a baseline assessment (BLE) and have a separate mechanism altogether,” explained Rekha Chauhan, the Principal of Orchids - The International School, Malad East, Mumbai, “We conduct an interview with teachers. The teachers are also trained in child psychology and how to speak to the students.”
Steps for inclusivity at schools
Another private school from Bengaluru added that the schools do not discriminate against any children on the basis of learning needs during the admission process.
“When a learning need is professionally identified during the admissions process, our student support team and counsellors are involved to ensure we can provide appropriate support. Having an up-to-date medical and psychological assessment is key to ensuring that students are fully supported to meet the grade-level learning requirements. During the admissions process, typical steps, such as admission tests, can be modified to suit the individual learning needs of the particular student,” explained Dr Ted Mockrish, Head of School, Canadian International School, Bengaluru.
Most of these schools also have an option for Individualised Educational Plans (IEP) based on the students’ skills and areas of concern for the students with any kind of learning disabilities.
Aloysius D'Mello, Principal of Greenwood High International School, Bengaluru, said that the students are given admission based on the extent to which they can cope, perform and enhance their skills in the school. “There is a separate procedure for admission of Special Needs Children based on the interaction that the Special Educational Needs Department (SEN) has with the parents and the child. It also includes evaluating the recent Psychological/Educational Assessment report of the child,” he added.
