Chapter 3 – A Student Let Down

Lofty walked into the canteen holding Barry's work in his hand. It was lunch time so all the students and teachers were eating. Lofty looked around and saw Tom Clarkson the person he was looking for having lunch at a table and luckily no one had gone to sit with him yet. Lofty walked to the table and sat down.

"Hello Tom"

The young teacher looked up with a welcoming face and smile

"Hi Lofty how is your first day going?"

"Not bad thanks, listen I wanted to talk to you about Barry Barry"

"Uh Oh what's he done now?"

"Nothing I just had him in the cooler and when he handed in his work he handed in this" Lofty said passing the boy's work over to the other teacher.

Tom read the work for a few minutes before looking up with a look of concern

"This is Barry's? He wrote all this I am thick stuff"?

"Yes that was what he handed in to me and look at the writing it's almost unreadable"

"I had no idea Barry was struggling"

"Has Barry ever been tested for dyslexia?" asked Lofty

"He should have been all students are tested upon arrival at the school, though it's possible that if he was off that day or something he might not have been"

"Do you have records to see if he was?"

"Yes but Nikki Boston is in charge of that so you will have to ask her"

"Ok thanks so much Tom"

Lofty looked around and after seeing Nikki was not in the canteen walked to her classroom where he found her marking.

"Nikki are you in charge of making sure students are tested for dyslexia"?

"Yes that's right I have to make sure the students sit the test"

"Was Barry Barry tested?"

"Ahh well...no, you see he refused"

"What do you mean?"

"Well I told him that he needed to do a test and he got angry as he wasn't told about it in advance and then I said it's to test whether or not he needs extra help and then he got angry as he said he wasn't thick and then he walked out the classroom"

"And you didn't try getting him to do it again"?

"Barry is not easy to talk to, you try getting him to sit down for an hour and do a test"

"Well we might have to I think he is dyslexic"

"Barry isn't dyslexic he is a troublemaker who likes attention, but it will put your mind at rest you can get him to take it" she said handing over the paper

"Thanks Nikki" Lofty walked out wondering how any teacher can let down a student like that"

Lofty was at his first lesson ever it was going well; the students seemed to like him and seemed interested in the subject. Lofty was not Barry's English teacher so he waited until after school to go find him. He found him talking to his little sister Kacey in the hallway.

"Bro will you play football with me?"

"Sure come on let's go, Dyn is going out with her friend shopping anyway"

Lofty knew Barry was about to leave so quickly stepped in

"Barry!?"

Barry and Kacey turned around to look at Lofty whose amazing smile was on his face

"Barry can I have a word in private?"

"What have you done now!?" said Kacey

"Nuthin, honest"

"Barry isn't in trouble"

"Wow that sounded weird" Kacey said with a look of disbelief

Lofty laughed "Seriously though I need a word"

Barry nodded and looked at his little sister "I will catch you up"

Kacey nodded and walked away ahead of her brother

"Barry you were supposed to do a test when you came to the school"

"Oh that one Boston try to get me to do for the longest time?"

"Yes Barry you still need to do it"

"Look I told her I won't do it, she practically said it's a test to see how thick I am"

"No Barry it isn't all it is, is to establish what level you are at in your work, that way we can give you help in the areas you struggle in"

"If I do the test will teachers stop harassing me?"

"Yes Barry"

"Fine I will do it when is it?"

"Tomorrow and it isn't a test you have to study for so don't worry about it"

"Ok, thanks sir see you tomorrow"

"Goodnight Barry"

Lofty smiled to himself as he had convinced Barry to do the test and looked forward to tomorrow where he would be able to give Barry the help he needs depending on the results.