Talk to such children for an hour or two. You will be able to identify the weakness in them that hampers their memory.

By birth, everyone is intelligent. Too much intelligence is also harmful. Children forget what they studied because too many unnecessary distractions occupy their mind. They store in their mind the movie-stories, incidents from the TV serials, the unnecessary gossips etc. When their mind is filled with many unwanted stuffs, they tend to forget the subjects learnt. Another reason for their forgetfulness is their tension. However, those who have confidence in themselves and believe they can learn and retain in their memory, are able to accomplish it.

It is incorrect to attribute the good marks to some family gene or to tuition. It varies from mind and mind. ‘That girl’s father is an IAS officer, so naturally she is intelligent. In my family no one has undergone schooling. How can my daughter be brilliant?”- it is incorrect on part of parents to think thus.

God has filled every mind with intelligence. **If the child is studious, concentrates upon her studies and is motivated to do well, she can do well. **On the contrary, if the child studies fearing the wrath of her mother or fearing someone she is bound to forget. Such children study for a while and then, waste their remaining time watching movies, playing video games or reading novels. They lack dedication necessary.

If we minutely analyze each of these children who claim inability to remember what is learnt, we will detect the weakness which hampers their memory. Due to excessive eating, excessive sleeping or due to behaving in a manner as if memory power is of no use, the mind becomes dull and such children lose their ability to retain their lessons in memory.

Eating moderately, playing moderately so as to remain physically fit are important pre-requisities. Games and physical activities in schools are aimed at removing lethargy. Quite a few students run to school immediately upon waking up from bed and without even visiting the washroom. In order to remove lethargy from such students, schools conduct drills during the early morning hours.

How nice it would be if children woke up early and after completing their daily activities along with some exercise, they go to school? Such children will be brisk and alert all through the day. This is due to their habits cultivated since birth.

To sum up, no child is inherently dim-witted or lacking in memory. It is lack of adequate efforts that hampers memory. There is no dim-witted person. God has blessed everyone with intelligence, including animals and birds. Just as animals do not use their intelligence, human beings waste their intelligence by indulging in food and sleep.

Parents who do not sit with the children when they are studying are another cause for the children not doing well at school. After instructing the children to study, parents watch TV or argue with one another due to which the attention of the children is drawn towards away from studies and they concentrate on these activities of the parents. It is the duty of a parents to also ask the children the lessons that were taught in class, the marks they scored, whether they have understood etc.

Yet another solution is that students should study throughout the year and not just before the exams. The subject would have been grasped better by the child.

If these points are all put into practice, you will understand what I am trying to say.

(Q&A Session 13 Dec 2015)