WRITTEN off as a troublemaker, all Chloe McRoberts wanted to do was learn.
The Ayr teen has vivid memories of her school days, struggling to fit in and keep up with classmates.
She recalled: “I was misbehaving constantly and the teacher thought I was a bad child. I struggled a lot. At first, they thought it was my eyesight and that was why I couldn’t read the letters. I always struggled to read.
“We would sit down in a circle and read from a book. When it came to me, I could read it in my head but when it came out I’d just stutter.”
Chloe remembers constantly being told off for what was seen as disruptive behaviour and giving up.
“From primary 3, I just thought there is no point. People thought I was trying to cause hassle, but I was trying to communicate.”
Despite the support of her loving parents, it was assumed Chloe simply wasn’t making the effort and was hell-bent on causing trouble.
She said: “When I was nine, I was diagnosed with dyslexia. But teachers just thought I was naughty. My mum and dad would tell the school it’s not the way I was brought up, it’s the classroom environment.”
Sadly, Chloe’s father David died around this time, causing teachers to believe her worsening behaviour was down to her loss. She had developed an eating disorder and it was assumed she was attention-seeking.
For Chloe, it was the only control she had over her situation.
She said: “I just didn’t understand myself. It was obvious that I was different, so I started to self-harm.”
Things didn’t improve at secondary school, despite a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
This, combined with her dyslexia, meant learning in an unsupported environment was extremely difficult.
“I don’t remember much about secondary school because I was on medication,” said Chloe.
“I remember my first day was hellish. I just broke down. Again, no-one understood. They assumed I came from a dysfunctional family, but that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t how I was brought up. I deliberately kicked up to get out of the classroom.
“It was just such a blur to me, but by my last year there was just no point. It felt like the only person who had faith in me was my mum. I had struggled so hard with writing and spelling but people assumed it was my behaviour holding me back.”
After being excluded from school on several occasions, Chloe was removed in her fourth year by her mum, Rosina, who feared for her daughter’s mental health.
“I knew I was clever and able to achieve things but I was devastated leaving school because I wanted to learn,” said Chloe.
Determined her daughter should get some qualifications, Rosina contacted The Learning Shop adult education centre in Ayr.
“They were so supportive,” said Chloe. “They understand that it’s not because I’m stupid or I don’t want to, I have difficulties they help me with. I needed to start again. We started with the alphabet, covered nouns and verbs and adjectives, how to write sentences and paragraphs. It was fantastic.
“Then I applied to Ayrshire College to study Intermediate English, and when I started I already knew a lot of what we were covering. I got a B. This year I’m doing Higher English, Higher Psychology and Intermediate 2 History.”
She even won the South Ayrshire Council Adult Literacies Learner of the Year award, awarded to her by Coun Margaret Toner in June.
Chloe now hopes to become a vet and has been doing observational work in a local practice for two years.
“I’m learning the same things that the veterinary students who come to the practice do. I’ve wanted to be a vet since I was young,” said Chloe.
