Matric for dyslexic teen

A Hudson Park High School pupil gives new meaning to the word determination as the dyslexic teen, who struggles to read and write, is on his way to completing matric.

Thanks to a special concession made by the education department, 18-year-old Struan Barnard has since Grade 9 written his exams with the assistance of a reader and a scribe.

The questions are read out to him with Barnard dictating the answer, which the scribe jots down.

The sessions are recorded and each answer given has to match the recording, which the marker listens to.

Speaking from the school library earlier this week, Barnard said the dyslexia was picked up by his teachers in Grade 3 when Barnard was enrolled at Dale Primary School.

“Spelling was the main issue for me. I just couldn’t get the letters out in the correct order,” Barnard said.

“And sometimes with certain words I would know what I want to say but was just not be able to get it out.

“Like when I played rugby, I sometimes couldn’t catch the ball. And I could never play hopscotch as a child.”

From Grades 4 to 6, Barnard attended Arcadia Primary School, a special school in East London which caters for pupils with learning disabilities.

There he was exposed to hearing and speech tests with an occupational therapist administering weekly tests.

He was also diagnosed as having an issue with gross motor co-ordination.

But with his family based in King William’s Town, Barnard said the daily commute was gruelling.

That was when he was mainstreamed to Hudson Primary which he attended from Grade 7.

“I stayed in hostel so I had to learn to make friends. It was because of these friends that I realised that although I couldn’t read the work, if I heard it then I would remember it, so I would listen to them reading their notes during prep time,” he said.

“Even if I didn’t know where in the textbook the work would be I would be able to remember it word for word.”

Barnard’s matric subjects are information technology, physical science, history, English, Afrikaans, maths and life orientation.

Academic head Christalla Ferreira said Barnard was doing exceptionally well in most of his subjects, with maths currently the biggest hurdle.

“Struan tries to maintain a B aggregate for most of his subjects but the only issue with maths is that he can’t get a scribe for it. He has to write the tests and exams himself which is where the problem comes in,” she said.

According to Ferreira, the school had to apply to the education department annually for the concession.

Barnard said he was happy he made the decision to attend a mainstream school.

“I love being here mostly because of the encouragement and the vibe of the students,” he concluded. — zisandan@dispatch.co.za