underachievement

Underachievement:
An often used phrase in schools. Usually with connotations of some pupil blame. "Lack of concentration, causes underachievement". Ever heard/read that? But no one seems to suggest that there may be something else going on. Why is this adult/child having trouble concentrating. It is just too easy to blame the person. "They can concentrate if they want to". "He can do it if he is interested". Have you heard that before? Actually interest probably means previous knowledge. Perhaps previous knowledge leads to better concentration, leads to attainment in line with ability. Now we are getting a bit psychological.

Underachievement, just consider that for a moment or two. What if I had underachieved. What would it mean for me a 46 year old professional adult? How much less would I earn? How much smaller would my house be? How much less interesting would my job be? Would I have some fool less intelligent than me in charge of me? What would that feel like? It must be awful. Would I drive a new car? Or would I have struggle to get an MOT every year on some horrid old banger? Instead of an intelligent slim beautiful wife would I be married at all? Actually underachievement is pretty important. I don't want that to happen to me. I don't like the sound of it at all. So why do we accept it? Children in UK schools are allowed to underachieve on a gross and massive scale. Assessment by educational psychologist is only available to the most severe of cases. For instance children who are reading many years behind their chronological age. Yes schools have remedial groups and are pretty savvy on the whole around special needs. But I am talking about children who have a weakness with spelling, a difficulty with planning, a complex difficulty comprehending the social environment or verbal instructions. I could go on. The subtle and so called mild specific difficulties that children experience are not addressed under the current system in the UK. Nor will they be until children have the same rights as adults to assessment upon producing indicators of specific difficulties upon a screening test or diagnostic interview.

The current situation has the LEA terrified of statements, because they blow the budget year upon year for the council as a whole. The focus of schools is often statements because that is the way to get more resources. For these with subtle SpLd's it is not really about resources but approach to learning, that needs to be adjusted. So for the sake of restructuring the system and allowing assessment to children on the basis of need, we will continue to have hoards of children suffering from underachievement at school, with the consequent emotional effects.

If you think you suspect that you or your child is underachieving please contact Dan Petrov to arrange for an assessment or call 01825 766011 direct to a Chartered Educational Psychologist.

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