● <B> In class</B>

At school, most research has shown, children allowed to learn at their own pace perform better, both academically and in daily life. In any primary school, at any one level (with lets say 108 pupils, grouped in 3 classes of 36) you may have as many as 20 different cohorts of speed of learning, from very fast to very slow, noting that those who are slow are by no means any less good or valuable: they often day-dream a lot, have unbound imagination and fill the day with many other themes than that of the assigned class-work. All this assuming children are allowed/entitled ,as they should be, to study at their own pace, freely.

A recent study (by Dr.A.Lillard, University of Virginia, USA) comparing pupils at Montessori schools with those coming from traditional systems found“significant advantages for the Montessori students for both the pre-primary and upper primary age groups. Particularly remarkable were the positive social effects of Montessori education”. The Montessori pupils when measured by the researcher were found to be both better at the 3Rs and in tests of “executive function”, i.e. ability do things, to get going, social ease, sure indicators of success in future life.

(As a refresher, note that the system invented by Dr. Maria Montessori for the education of the equivalent of ZEP children of Italy in the early 1900s, focuses on personal development rather than exams; it make enormous use of the senses, discourages traditional competition, eliminates tests and marks; specially in the early days, children of different ability and in some cases of different age groups are in class together, each cohort working at their own theme and pace, while all are encouraged to collaborate and help each other, a sort of forerunner of the “pédagogie inclusive” as introduced in the RCA primary schools in the late 1990s. Montessori is not without its critics: it’s more difficult for teachers to run, these need special training, parents complain that kids in class are “too free”(the forerunner of open classes) and that tests and homework are normally not given. In short a paradise for kids!)

<B>Not just true at school, but in other walks of life</B>

Turfists know very well the disastrous effects of running a horse off his own pace, for example making a genuine stayer running the 2400 metres of the Maiden or L’Arc de Triomphe sprint the first 1000 metres all out!

Slow, methodical speakers like Chirac or Ban Ki-Moon speaking in English, not to mention some well known local ones, are effective at their own pace, but they should never attempt to try and use this pace to do a football match commentary! The effect of excessive growth hormone on development is negative, be it in man, mammals or plants, while in business it is said that firms that grow too fast take in more than they can digest, and those who do not take time to consolidate new ventures eventually end up with a crash. Similarly many bodily functions such as eating are enjoyed at one’s own pace; thus a slow eater should never be forced to gobble food!

To really come to know and appreciate an area of the world new to you-believe my experience in this matter- travelling at one’s own pace is best, as compared to fixed schedules or group-tours. If you really want to discover continental Europe or India, Brazil or Australia it’s best to move on foot, by tram, by bus or train, or even by barge on rivers, meeting the inhabitants as they live their daily lives. If you over-fly Sudan at 35,000 feet on the way to London its obvious you are still at point zero in knowing Sudan! If you take a 7-day whistle stop tour of be it China or Kenya, the feel of the country may never touch you!

On a very different note (I take this saying from the wisdom of the Franciscans) they hold that the “one-size-fits-all approach does not respect how a person grows in faith”. People’s faith, in whatever religion or creed, can only grow at one’s own pace (the key concepts here being those of comprehension, acceptance and assimilation), which has over the years rendered ineffective much of religious teachings which, pedagogically incorrect, did not take into consideration each one’s personal growth and development, as well as periodic recessions due to doubt.

● <B>In conclusion</B>

It’s not just a matter of convincing the reader here that it’s “best at one’s own pace!” but getting this rule to become standard practice of all good and effective pedagogy in all schools at all levels. Rather like the wisdom of “practice makes perfect” or the use of a familiar language (mother-tongue or lingua-franca) as medium of instruction during early schooling. In practice, teachers ,specially at the primary, will make more time for group work and individual projects, less for whole-class-teaching. Natural tendencies, including pace, can be trained and optimised: respecting each child’s pace includes training very slow ones to move faster and those who generally rush to become more reflective. But at any one moment in time, the natural or trained pace and rhythm of each child is respected, making schooling a joyful experience, not a labour-camp.

Michael Atchia</B> <I>[email protected]</I>