The Special Boy

It was a cold morning and the clock was striking six when I woke up. I opened my window and gaze into the dark sky wondering why I decided to become a teacher. I felt like lingering here longer but I have school to attend. So I got ready and rushed to school. It was a Drug Prevention Week and I could see all the teachers were busy handling countless of competitions and preparing for the upcoming closing ceremony. Thus, this trainee teacher also got herself busy assisting teacher in class.

I walked my way to class 3 Zurah, walking past countless of excited-looking children as I walked. As I entered the class, this beautiful and petite English teacher named Madam Shamala introduced me to the class. I took a seat at the back. The lesson started with a drawing game where the pupils had to pick one action verb, draw it onto the whiteboard and let the others guessed it. Then, the teacher introduced new topic creatively using a video clip from an animation movie entitled Frozen. All of these tiny angels were enjoying themselves except this one boy.

He was a small plump fellow with a knack for bringing a smile to the face of anyone he knew due to his cuteness. He wandered around the class aimlessly or just slept on his desk. The class ended with the teacher displaying the pupils work around the class. As I got back to the staff room, I asked Madam Shamala about the boy. I’ve been told that the boy had autism but the parents refused to send him to special needs class which also provided in the school. This causes the boy to learn nothing at all in the class.

The day of Drug Prevention Week closing ceremony finally arrived. The ceremony started with the national anthem and a speech from the headmistress. After some students’ performances, the prize giving ceremony began where the names of the winner of each competition were being announced. It turned out that the boy with autism won the first place in coloring competition. He looked so happy and proud walking toward the stage to receive the prize. Most of the teachers looked very proud of his achievement.

This experience makes me realised that all children have their own talent. We as an adult should not tell them what they should or should not be good at. As for his parents, it was not that they were ignorant or entirely blind to it. They knew what was coming but who wants their child being made fun by some people? Deep inside, I know that one day his parents will accept his condition. I pray that these special kids will always get a happy life and bright futures ahead of them.