Malika
Well-Known Member
Do you have that expression in the US? Means a situation where there are some good things, some bad things. Life, in other words...
So the not-so-good thing is that I have decided to take J out of the school from today. Just as well because when I arrived this morning they told me that they are excluding him and putting him all by himself with a teacher because apparently (they say) he is disrupting his class of four students to such a degree that teaching is impossible. I simply do not believe this. They also said many parents had complained about him. If they have, I think it is all generated by the attitude of the principal, which is that he is a bad child who is turbulent and out of control - she has done nothing to make him feel relaxed and welcome, and to explain his behaviour to others. Okay, okay, you may say, but society is not going to understand him, make exceptions for him, etc. That may well be true, but that is later. For the moment he is a six year old child and it is simple. He can and should be understood and helped in the context of his difference or disability. A warm, understanding, compassionate teacher (and, yes, there are not so many of those, doubtless) would have ensured that we would not have got to this difficult place where I just feel he has to come out of the school and we are at daggers drawn. And I just don't know where we go from here... I don't think the ideal is for me to teach him, actually - I don't think it's going to work. I will need to engage a tutor for him, at least for a few hours a week.
But the good thing is that I have been put in touch with a psychologist who works with ADHD kids (and others) here in Marrakesh and I feel heartened after talking to her this morning. She promises she will be able to teach him skills to help with his social difficulties and she has a lot of experience. She is clearly in this not just for the money but because she has a vocation for and understanding for kids with differences - she comes highly recommended by several people. I have also made an appointment for October with a doctor here who specialises in ADHD. It all costs money, unlike in France where it is basically free, but this is actually more help than we were getting in France. I also have an appointment with a speech therapist and am in touch with a woman who runs an organisation for parents of children with learning difficulties here.
So there IS help on the ground here and I'm feeling a little more hopeful, as I say. Now I just need to get the school dilemma sorted...
So the not-so-good thing is that I have decided to take J out of the school from today. Just as well because when I arrived this morning they told me that they are excluding him and putting him all by himself with a teacher because apparently (they say) he is disrupting his class of four students to such a degree that teaching is impossible. I simply do not believe this. They also said many parents had complained about him. If they have, I think it is all generated by the attitude of the principal, which is that he is a bad child who is turbulent and out of control - she has done nothing to make him feel relaxed and welcome, and to explain his behaviour to others. Okay, okay, you may say, but society is not going to understand him, make exceptions for him, etc. That may well be true, but that is later. For the moment he is a six year old child and it is simple. He can and should be understood and helped in the context of his difference or disability. A warm, understanding, compassionate teacher (and, yes, there are not so many of those, doubtless) would have ensured that we would not have got to this difficult place where I just feel he has to come out of the school and we are at daggers drawn. And I just don't know where we go from here... I don't think the ideal is for me to teach him, actually - I don't think it's going to work. I will need to engage a tutor for him, at least for a few hours a week.
But the good thing is that I have been put in touch with a psychologist who works with ADHD kids (and others) here in Marrakesh and I feel heartened after talking to her this morning. She promises she will be able to teach him skills to help with his social difficulties and she has a lot of experience. She is clearly in this not just for the money but because she has a vocation for and understanding for kids with differences - she comes highly recommended by several people. I have also made an appointment for October with a doctor here who specialises in ADHD. It all costs money, unlike in France where it is basically free, but this is actually more help than we were getting in France. I also have an appointment with a speech therapist and am in touch with a woman who runs an organisation for parents of children with learning difficulties here.
So there IS help on the ground here and I'm feeling a little more hopeful, as I say. Now I just need to get the school dilemma sorted...
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