Some children have to be examined by a Psychiatrist.
Psychiatrists evaluate the case based on detailed history of the child’s
development, behaviour and performance in all environments. Observations and inputs from school are
important for proper evaluation of a school-going child.
‘Teacher’s report’ is a description of the child’s overall
behaviour (in school) and academic performance.
It should include the following:
General Information
1.
Since when is this child a student of your school?
2.
Attendance- Percentage in last term, and regular
or irregular
3.
Appearance and Grooming of the child
4.
Any other general observations
Observation-
1.
Activity levels- average/ dull/ overactive
2.
Attention span- average/ distractable
3.
Does he mostly follow instructions? Yes/ No. If not, why do you think he does not
follow instructions? Is it due to not understanding, or purposely, etc
4.
Overall academic performance. Average/ below/
above
5.
Difficult subjects
6.
Very good at
7.
Discipline and rule compliance. Satisfactory/
not satisfactory
8.
Relation with peers- adequate/ poor
9.
Relation with teachers/ other staff
10.
Any other
Your inputs
1.
Your efforts in school
2.
Do you have a counsellor?
3.
Any suggestions/ other inputs
The report should be compiled by teachers/staff who closely
interact with child and data should be about the month immediately preceding
the reporting period. The report is a
combined effort of all teachers and staff seeing the child in school, and
statement of observations should be arrived at by consensus of all
observers. The Teacher’s report should
be issued on the school letter-head with a signature of the class teacher,
counselor and Principal. A copy should
be retained for records. The school report should be handed over to parents in
an open cover.
Some schools are hesitant to issue school report as they
fear it may offend the parents and result in conflict. Parents are afraid that
school teachers may be biased against their child or are victimising the child.
Most schools issue reports only upon parents’ request. School report should be
always issued after taking the parents into confidence, and after taking their
consent. Schools should take assistance of school counsellor for making the
report. Parents should be explained that the observations are not of one
person, but are done by many persons interacting with their child over a period
of time. This eliminates possibility of bias or victimisation. Parents should
be explained, it is only to assist in helping the child and not for ‘grading’,
‘judging’ or ‘branding’ the child. School report should be drafted in proper
technical language, in a respectful tone without using any pejorative terms. Observations regarding parents should not be
included in the report.
One should never lose sight of the fact that the report is
for benefit of the child, and nothing will be gained by alienating child or his
parents. At the same time much will be lost by not stating problems in clear
terms due to fear of backlash from parents. If the parents still object to the
report, one has to stand by it and advise the parent to hand over the report to
the Psychiatrist along with their objections. They may even choose NOT to give
the report; this choice has to be respected, with the offer of issuing another
report whenever the parent again requests for it. (Parents sometimes get
convinced later). There would be no scope for suppressing or altering the
report, as it will defeat the whole purpose.
