Unit 6 - Portfolio Assignment

INTRODUCTION
Barriers to learning can be internal, for example a physically challenged child or a child with a
special need like dyslexia or ADHD. It could be external, caused by environmental or
community factors like poverty, unqualified teachers.
Also, barriers to learning may be complicated. For instance, a physically challenged child in a
poor community.
Another unfortunate aspect is educational systems having barriers caused by outdated policies
and traditional teaching methods.
Upon reflecting on my personal educational history, I had a systemic barrier to learning, caused
by the educational policies, poor funding of public schools and lack of infrastructure.
I attended a relatively good public school with my eldest sister who was in her last year of
primary school by the time I joined. When she left for secondary school, my parents would not
allow a 6-year-old me to do the taxi shuttle from my home to the school all by myself.
Been very busy parents, they could not drop me at school or pick me up after school, so I had to
change to a nearby school. The first choice of a nearby school my parent had in mind had its
primary 2 class already filled up, no space for even 1 more person to join. The class was already
packed to the brim with students.
My parents eventually settled for an afternoon session school which starts by 1 O’clock daily.
From feelers that we got, the afternoon session of school was created for house boys and girls
who stay back at home after everyone had gone to school to tidy up the home and finish up the
chores before going to school in the afternoon.
This system had a myriad of negative effect on me. I will state some here.
1. Because I had to go to school from 1pm, I was deprived the opportunity wake up early
and prepare for school like other children in the neighbourhood. This affected my ability
to prepare early for the day’s activities.
2. Because I was practically alone with an illiterate nanny, I spent a lot of idle and
unproductive time between 8am to about 12:30 pm.
3. I will play and get carried away by play most days, and end up going late to school.
4. The stigma of attending a school meant for house boys made my to have some
reservations and low participation I school. I felt I was in the wrong pace. I wasn’t
enthusiastic about school.
5. The teachers in my school usually teach elsewhere in the morning hours, and move to my
school in the afternoon. This will naturally lead to poor productivity because they are
already tired by the time they resume in the afternoon school.
Freudenberg, 2014 enumerates the importance of enthusiasm for both teachers and students
cannot be overemphasised. It is sparked by interest and sustained by good outcomes. Because I
did not like my school, I did not readily participate actively in learning.
True to the assertion by many, my class was filled with young boys and girls who were mostly
working as hawkers, shop assistants, the level of academic excellence was low. There was little
or no academic competition between me and my peers. Despite my lack of enthusiasm, I was far
ahead of many of them. According to Yanhong and Shumin , 2022, previous studies have shown
that peer relationship affects learning engagement. And learning engagement plays a vital role in
promoting knowledge acquisition and production, enhancing adolescents’ academic success.

Unfortunately, accommodations were not made to change the situation at the time. The teachers
at the time were not trained to handle the aftermath of attending school in the afternoon. The
poor results and low self esteem of most students were not addressed in any form by any adult.
Tough today, those kinds of schools have been abolished by government. However, there are
students from very poor backgrounds who are still learning under similar conditions. They do not
find their schools attractive or interesting enough to attend. Government funded schools fall
culprits for offering children this kind of learning experiences. The barriers created by poor
infrastructure, gaps in learning tools and resources have reduced the performances and inhibited
the possibilities of many children’s enhancement in life generally.
To close this portfolio, I sadly say that most of my class mates in that afternoon session, house
boys and house girls school, did not end up well in life.
References
Freudenberg, Brett & Samarkovski, Lisa. (2014). Enthusiasm and the Effective Modern
Academic. Australian Universities Review. 56. 22-31.

Shao Yanhong and Kang Shumin, 2022, The association between peer relationship and learning
engagement among adolescents: The chain mediating roles of self-efficacy and academic
resilience, journal in Frontiers in Psychology, VOLUME=13,
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.938756,

Unit 6 - Portfolio Assignment

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Unit 6 - Portfolio Assignment

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Unit 6 - Portfolio Assignment

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

INTRODUCTION

special need like dyslexia or ADHD. It could be external, caused by environmental or

community factors like poverty, unqualified teachers.

and traditional teaching methods.

packed to the brim with students.

chores before going to school in the afternoon.

to prepare early for the day’s activities.

unproductive time between 8am to about 12:30 pm.

enthusiastic about school.

already tired by the time they resume in the afternoon school.

cannot be overemphasised. It is sparked by interest and sustained by good outcomes. Because I

promoting knowledge acquisition and production, enhancing adolescents’ academic success.

the possibilities of many children’s enhancement in life generally.

Academic. Australian Universities Review. 56. 22-31.

resilience, journal in Frontiers in Psychology, VOLUME=13,

You might also like