Pupils with minor disabilities less confident

Pupils with minor disabilities, such as impaired hearing or dyslexia, achieve less well in the first year of secondary education than those who do not have such handicaps. Just like pupils who wear glasses, they are less self-confident as far as their looks, popularity and sporting achievements are concerned.

Self-perception compared with classmates

In spite of the fact that first formers who wear glasses have slightly better school results than average, they more often think they are below average at school. Pupils with hearing impairments and dyslexia have lower scores on their entrance tests, and more often than average believe that they experience learning difficulties.

Pupils with hearing disabilities have the lowest self-esteem. They are more likely to think that other people do not like them, that they do not look nice and that they are worse at sports. This also applies, though to a lesser extent, to pupils with glasses. Dyslexic pupils enjoy school less, just as children with hearing disabilities.

Carin Reep