(MENAFN - Arab News) Knowing the aptitude of children, before selecting a particular stream of higher studies for them, is important. The Centre for Information Guidance India (CIGI) conducted a full-day workshop on aptitude tests for secondary and senior secondary students in Riyadh, in cooperation with City Flower Cinergy Group.
School principals, educationalists, organizational leaders and experts from CIGI, an Indian NGO specialized in the field of educational research and counseling, attended the day.
"If parents insist on enrolling their children for a course that doesn't suit the child's interest and aptitude, very often the child may falter and may not do well in school," said Dass Pillai, principal of Al-Yasmine International School, in his speech at the inaugural session. Many students drop out from their professional courses halfway through, when they realize the chosen course doesn't suit their interest.
Mohamed Mustafa, principal of Al-Huda School, urged students to identify their innate abilities and interests and work toward polishing them through hard work and determination. "The success of (cricketer) Sachin Tendulkar, (chess grandmaster) Viswanathan Anand, (film sound mixer) Rasool Pookkutty and (former Indian President) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam came because they realized their interest and aptitude early enough and worked toward achieving their goals."
Jaraish, chief career counselor of CGI, said skills could be acquired and developed from early childhood. "Aptitude is different. It is the key factor that differentiates an individual from others. It helps students to attain proficiency in a specific area. Differences in aptitude make one a banker, another an engineer and yet another could become an editor. A systematic approach and goal setting is a prerequisite for attaining success in any given field."
A group of 60 students from different international schools wrote the differential aptitude test to analyze their verbal, abstract and numerical reasoning, clerical aptitude, spatial and mechanical intelligence and language skills.
Based on the test results, a graph depicting the aptitude of the student was given to each participant. Expert counseling and career guidance were also provided.
