Question 1 Read scenario A and answer the questions that follow:
Scenario A.
Tommy is 10 years old. He attends a school 8 km from home. He lives in a
two-room house that he shares with his mother, his 85-year-old sick
grandfather and eight other children. His mother is blind and cannot find a job.
Because no one in the house earns an income Tommy is often hungry. He and
the other older children in the household take turns to stay home from school
and care for the grandfather. His schoolwork suffers because he is not able to
attend school every day. He must also fetch water from a river that is 1km
from home every morning before school and is often late for school. When he
is at school, he often finds it difficult to concentrate because he is usually
hungry and he worries about his grandfather a lot. He is also sad because his
father left home to look for work and never returned. When he gets home after
a long day at school, he works in the neighbours’ garden and then sells the
vegetables to earn some money to buy food for the family. The teacher does
not know why Tommy comes to school late and why he is absent so often.
She shouts at him for not doing his homework and for his poor performance at
school. Tommy gets nervous when the teacher shouts at him, so he sits at the
back of the class so that she won’t notice him. But Tommy is partially sighted
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,and can’t see the board from the back of the class. No one knows about
Tommy’s eyesight as his eyes have never been tested. His academic
performance gets worse and worse.
1.1 Discuss 5 challenges that Tommy encountered in accessing quality
education that prevent him from achieving his potential. Provide specific
reasons mentioned in the passage to support your answer.
Tommy faces several significant challenges that prevent him from
accessing quality education and achieving his potential. These
challenges include:
1. Poverty and Lack of Income:
o Specific Reason: Tommy lives in a household where no one
earns an income, leading to frequent hunger and lack of basic
necessities.
o Impact: Being hungry affects his concentration and ability to
learn, making it difficult for him to perform well
academically.
2. Caretaking Responsibilities:
o Specific Reason: Tommy and the other older children in the
household take turns staying home from school to care for
their sick grandfather.
o Impact: These responsibilities cause him to miss school
regularly, resulting in inconsistent attendance and gaps in his
learning.
3. Household Duties:
o Specific Reason: Tommy must fetch water from a river 1 km
away every morning before school, often making him late.
o Impact: This daily task not only tires him out but also causes
him to miss important instructional time, leading to further
academic difficulties.
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, 4. Emotional and Psychological Stress:
o Specific Reason: Tommy is worried about his sick
grandfather, sad about his father's absence, and anxious when
the teacher shouts at him.
o Impact: These emotional burdens contribute to his inability
to concentrate in class, exacerbating his learning challenges.
5. Undiagnosed Visual Impairment:
o Specific Reason: Tommy is partially sighted but has never
had his eyes tested, and he sits at the back of the class where
he cannot see the board.
o Impact: His undiagnosed visual impairment severely affects
his ability to follow lessons and complete schoolwork,
leading to poor academic performance.
These challenges create a cycle of disadvantage for Tommy, making it
difficult for him to achieve his educational potential.
1.2 Explain the impact of Tommy's family situation on his academic
performance. How does his responsibility for household tasks and
caring for his grandfather affect his ability to focus on schoolwork? [4]
Tommy's family situation significantly impacts his academic
performance in several ways:
1. Inconsistent Attendance:
o Explanation: Tommy and his siblings take turns
staying home from school to care for their sick
grandfather.
o Impact: Missing school regularly disrupts his
learning, causing him to fall behind in his studies and
miss critical instructional time.
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