I was given the very difficult assignment of tutoring Devdas to help him get through his school entrance exams; Devdas had been diagnosed with severe learning difficulties and frankly I was terrified at the prospect of tutoring him, but Tutors from England knew me well and hoped, I thought rather ambitiously, I might be able to help him. 

Devdas was a sweet, gentle boy who immediately took to me and was not in any way hostile to my trying to help him. I was extremely patient and did my utmost not to frighten or upset him. He seemed very responsive to my teaching and, although he was clearly very behind other children of his age, I did not think that he was unintelligent and could not see that he had any learning difficulties. 

Devdas and I became great friends, even chums; we did everything together and I became very ensconced in his family – I got on very well with his parents and his elder brother. 

It slowly dawned on me that there was nothing wrong with Devdas whatsoever; he was just a very gentle person and had been overwhelmed by being at school and had simply not responded to being taught; no teacher had shown him any gentleness or empathy. There was nothing wrong with him. 

I was with Devdas for three months and in that time I gave him the confidence that he had so far lacked; I brought him up to – and even beyond – the standard that he was supposed to have reached at school at his age. He was a really lovely boy and, as he gained confidence, he fitted into the family so much better; he was no longer looked upon as a dunce with learning disabilities. It was empathy and gentleness that had cured him of those, if indeed he ever did have them. 

I am very happy to be able to say that, much to his parents' delight, Devdas got into the next school easily and I have been back to stay with the family often since, not as Devdas’ tutor, but as a friend of the family. DV