I need to share something that’s been on my mind. I’m a 21-year-old graduate, recently married, and I have a 7-month-old baby. During the long holiday, I brought a 13-year-old girl to live with us. I quickly realized that she couldn’t read or write and didn’t even know simple two- or three-letter words.
Determined to help her, I hired a home tutor to teach her during the holiday. I bought her the Queen Primer book, and while she made some progress—she can now spell, write, and pronounce some two-letter words—it wasn’t as much as I had hoped.
Now, I’m at a crossroads. I want to enroll her in school, ideally starting from basic 6. However, she failed the entrance exam for basic 6 badly. We then tried the entrance exam for basic 3, and she failed that one too. The head teacher has suggested placing her in basic 3 with the possibility of promoting her to basic 6 if she shows significant improvement.
My concern now is her age. I’m worried about how old she’ll be by the time she finishes primary school and starts secondary school. I talked to my mom about it, and she advised me that it’s not about how fast she progresses but how well she learns. She believes that insisting on placing her in basic 6 would be a waste of money because she will keep failing.
I talked to more people, seeking advice and hoping someone would have the perfect solution. Some suggested special schools for older children who were behind academically. Others recommended intensive summer programs to bridge the educational gap more quickly.
My husband, supportive as always, tried to reassure me. “We’re doing our best,” he said. “That’s all we can do.” But was it enough?
So here I am, stuck in a dilemma, trying to balance the best educational path for this young girl while considering her age and potential future struggles. It’s a tough situation, and I’m searching for the best solution that ensures she gets the education she needs without setting her up for continuous failure. What do you suggest I do?
