Ahmed Hadi, 12, had a problem. The sixth-grader, in spite of being blessed with an average IQ (Intelligent Quotient), could never score above a C+ in his exams. “Maybe it's just not my cup of tea,” he says, indicating his disinterest in academics. Hadi's mother, Amina Ahmed, says all efforts to improve his performance have been futile. “I want him to score really well as we want him to take up engineering later which is very competitive. And when he doesn't do well, he faces its consequences,” she said. Amina said she forces her son to learn his lessons by heart even if he doesn't understand a word of it. “At least this way he will pass his exams,” she said. Many children who are unable to cope up with their studies are pressurized by their parents to study for long hours, pick universities and eventually careers, according to their parents' choice irrespective of the child's field of interest. This often leads to the child's disinclination towards the whole process of education. Hadi only personifies the woes of about 10 to 20 percent of students in every class who are found to be academically weak, says Dr. Baqer Rasheed, a psychiatrist at Jeddah Psychiatric Hospital. “Every individual irrespective of IQ has an interest in different fields of life and accordingly, they develop talent in that specific field, provided they get opportunities from their parents, teachers and peers. A person with a lower IQ but who is talented in something has equal chances to be successful in life,” said Dr. Rasheed. Dr. Rasheed defined IQ as “a measure of the ability of the mind to perform one's incoming orders to the mind and outgoing performances accordingly, thereby balancing life performances.” The average IQ is between 90 and 109; scores above 110 indicate a higher than average IQ and scores below 100 indicate a lower than average IQ. Half of the population has IQ's between 90 and 110; while 25 percent have higher IQ's and 25 percent have lower IQ's. About 1 to 2 percent has an extremely low score of 0.1 percent. Do IQ test scales really measure intelligence? “Keeping IQ as a standard measure, one can judge a student's capability to develop his talent in any field of interest. IQ is a reliable tool to judge the capabilities and intelligence of a student,” Dr. Rasheed said, pointing to the increasing popularity of television programs which provide a platform to the general public to exhibit their diverse talents irrespective of their intelligence. However, academicians feel otherwise. “Parents must accept children with a less IQ. They should not pressurize them into becoming only doctors and engineers. The society also needs artisans and other professionals,” said Zarina Khan, Principal of Anwar-ul-Mashail school. She said parents usually do not agree with this approach, “They get angry if you suggest that their child is below average, go to another school and then come back after a similar experience there.” Experts say that there may be many psychological factors apart from IQ level that influence children. “Children with normal IQ and an above normal IQ may withstand all other influences and maintain their academic performances; while those below an average IQ may be affected due to environmental influences leading to a weak academic performance,” Dr. Rasheed said. “First, there are the physical factors like a good nights' sleep, arriving to school on time, good hygiene, a balanced diet, a comfortable atmosphere and surroundings. Second, personal factors which directly affect a child's performance are good habits, orientation of being a good student, sufficient school requirements etc.,” he said. Dr. Rasheed said social factors like parental conflicts influence a child's psychology, behavior and education. “The child is very sensitive to the home atmosphere and external cultural influences. If he is exposed to domestic discord, he may get preoccupied with the problem, loses his concentration in any activity and gets weaker academically. Some children react by getting withdrawn, depressed, and turn introvert. Others may get aggressive and ill-mannered,” he warned. A childhood condition called conduct disorder may eventually arise which consist of frank psychological symptoms of anxiety and mal-adjustments, Dr.Rasheed said. He said co-students can, in many ways, impact their peers' academic performance. “If a student has conflicts with another classmate he should be made to sit apart and avoid that particular student,” he said. Academic performance also depends on the teaching methods and application of scientific teaching skills at school. “Children may be victims of poor teaching methods by unqualified teachers or by a teacher who is suffering from a psychological illness or someone who has never studied child psychology in her school training qualifications. The moral ability of a teacher also counts as those who are non-moral may discriminate among his/her students,” Dr. Rasheed said. He referred to a method of rewarding more and punishing less in the ratio of 3:1. “That is, reward 3 times and punish once.” Apparently, schools say they use all possible means and activities to enhance a student's performance. Anila Paracha, educationist and headmistress of City School, Jeddah, said that each child is different and so should be the ways to handle them. “Admission tests gauge the mental and physical senses of the child, and coordination with parents is also important. Class strength is another factor, so we do not overcrowd classes. There are remedial classes and school activities to develop the child's hidden skills such as morning sessions (assembly) to overcome stage fear,” she said. Most schools conduct special classes for the academically weak students, whose IQ is below average, or those who come from a below average school. “But parents think it is discrimination. On the contrary, if they are made to sit with other children they may suffer from an inferiority complex,” said Zarina Khan. Pakistan International School Jeddah (PISJ) also conducts weekly remedial classes in their library, P.T or other free hours for students “who score low in IQ tests given by teachers or specified by the school and the exams,” said Bilquis Nazish, a senior statistics teacher at PISJ. She said sometimes the teacher may personally feel that a student requires extra coaching based on his conduct in the class, that is, if he/she is not paying attention in the class. “Remedial classes have half the strength of a regular class; as such each student gets individual attention which is not possible otherwise. The pattern of teaching is simplified so as to come to the level of the student,” Bilquis said. She said remedial classes have a 40 to 60 percent success rate with a noticeable improvemement in the children's exam performance. Some schools opt for a second method – to separate students from the beginning of the academic year in two sections -- one, advanced section, and the other with an easier syllabus, according to their achievement test performance. “They should be coached in a special way with a slow teaching style rather than seeking a fast completion of the lesson. This gives the slow learners a chance to understand the concepts properly,” Dr. Rasheed said. Exam fear or phobia is one of the common and troublesome fears that lead a student to anxiety. “About 30 to 40 percent students suffer from this fear. If it persists, it may result in the lowering of the child's recalling capacity,” he said, adding that exam fear can be minimized by encouraging a student and telling him that it is a part of his studies to recall what was learned. “It should not be dealt with fear or without fear; rather it should be taken as a competitive act,” Dr. Rasheed added.
