Education instead of imprisonment – CatholicTT

By Dr. Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor

It must have been more than 20 years ago that I met Lucas (not his real name), a nine-year-old boy who had been referred to our program that we were running in a number of schools on youth empowerment.

Our primary schools were located in the southern part of Port of Spain. Our groups consisted of boys and girls who were selected by the principals because they were not fit for their task, could not concentrate and did not follow the instructions of teachers or adults.

Lucas, despite many attempts, did not participate in the sessions and sat in the back. As I was used to, when the session ended for the morning, I waited around.

One of those mornings Lucas stayed behind. He was conspicuous because he wore a heavy gold chain around his neck, even stranger that he was allowed to do so.

I walked up to him and made light jokes. He smiled. After a while this little boy sat up and said something I will never forget: “Ma’am, I’m just waiting until I’m 12. Then they’ll give me a gun. The police will shoot my big brother and my uncle. I can see that! I’ll do it for them!”

School meant nothing to him. He struggled with reading and writing, didn’t learn, and only went because he was forced to.

Game over.

There are many reasons why some children and teens engage in criminal activity, especially those who come from impoverished backgrounds. However, the focus of this article will be on a pathway that is not fully understood and somewhat downplayed by learned administrators and educators who have not connected the dots: the presence of neurological deficits, learning disabilities, and an inability to learn unless structured interventions are implemented.

In 2018, the U.S. Senate passed a criminal justice reform bill, the First Step Act. The impetus for the bill’s passage was a result of research showing that prison populations have higher than average rates of dyslexia. It was identified as a leading cause of illiteracy and a critical risk factor for criminal behavior.

It prevented prisoners from studying and gaining certain qualifications in rehabilitation courses while in prison, making it harder for them to return to work after their release, contributing to recidivism: their return to prison cells.

The First Step Act included provisions for screening prisoners for dyslexia and providing them with the support they needed to learn to read and write while in prison.

Investing in the future of our country means prioritising our children. How seriously do we address the academic challenges and learning difficulties of our students in the education system, most of whom come from poor areas?

If we know the root causes that can lead to a life of crime for those who are disillusioned and powerless, what are the inhibiting factors that have prevented those responsible from taking extra steps within the schools? Kudos to initiatives taken by the Department of Education, such as the Adopt-a-School programs where corporate groups provide financial support to schools with a focus and where more counselors are placed in schools to care for those children who are emotionally disturbed.

Unfortunately, these are just a few drops in a bucket that seems to have a permanent hole. Our society is still more punitive than rehabilitative, with children and teens who cannot learn in traditional ways and who are “different” being suspended or parents being told to find other schools for them. Many of these students are more likely to fall behind academically, drop out of school, and end up in jail unless (1) structured interventions are implemented, (2) they are monitored and followed for improvement, and (3) their progress is evaluated.

Are our priorities not misplaced if there is security personnel in every school, but there is not a trained substitute teacher in EVERY school who can address the learning gaps of our children?

Why do we wait until teenagers are incarcerated or locked up in juvenile detention centers before we realize how serious this problem is?

A frustrated mother said: “I am from Morang/Pasea. Parents here are not educated and many children do not go to school after primary school. There is real poverty here. The need for money to survive is great and parents take them with them to earn money, whether it is by planting a garden or selling on the highway because they always do poorly in school!

“Some parents want better for their children, but there is no hope. Who is going to care about these children who can’t read or write? It’s easy for them to join gangs. I see them growing up from small, joining gangs and some of them losing their lives. There is a need for money, so they are easy prey for the gang leaders here. Do you think it’s easy for them to see their brothers and sisters and them hungry? Who are we? Who really listens to us here?”

Whether you decide to concern yourself with this issue or not, the facts are as follows:

• Children and teens with dyslexia often face significant challenges at school, leading to frustration, low self-esteem, and disconnection from the educational system.
• This frustration can lead to poor school performance and higher dropout rates, which are risk factors for delinquency.
• Without proper identification and support, they may not receive the help they need to succeed academically and socially. This lack of support can push them toward negative behaviors and negative environments where they are accepted and empowered.

We need to put things in place BEFORE a First Step Act comes. Who is really listening?

Dr. Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor is a psychologist/educator. She is a certified dyslexia screener and consultant and a board member of NODES (Network and Outreach for Disability Education and Sensitization).