Can a Fish Climb a Tree? Rethinking Fairness in Education

Dyslexia is a neurological learning impairment that affects the ability to read, write, and process language. It is characterized by challenges with phonological skills such as connecting letters to sounds and decoding words. Dyslexia is not related to intelligence, and can be supported through specific teaching methods and assistive technologies that strengthen foundational reading and spelling skills. While usually identified in school-aged children, it can affect individuals at all ages and manifests uniquely. Many people with dyslexia have strengths in problem-solving and creative thinking.

A few years ago, I came across an image that has stayed with me ever since. In it, a group of animals of different shapes and abilities—an elephant, a monkey, a fish in a bowl, a bird, and others—stand before an examiner in what looks like a classroom. The examiner declares: “For today’s test, everyone must climb that tree.”

The irony is obvious: the monkey will succeed easily, but the elephant and the fish have already failed before they even begin. On the surface, the cartoon is humorous, but its message cuts deep. It illustrates one of the greatest flaws in our education systems. For decades, we have measured children using narrow criteria—memorization, standardized testing, and rigid conformity. Technology has advanced, yet education in many parts of the world remains stagnant, clinging to outdated ideas of “fairness.”

True fairness begins with recognizing that children are not identical. Even parents of twins will tell you their children are different in character, ability, and learning style. Some students thrive in math, while others shine in art. Some excel in sports, while others in storytelling. And yet, they are too often judged by the same exam—the same “tree to climb.”

This raises an uncomfortable question: are we truly educating students, or are we simply testing how well they fit into a rigid mold?

Education has too often been unfair—like asking a fish to climb a tree, then labeling it a failure when it cannot. Consider the student with cerebral palsy who cannot hold a protractor. She may be marked as failing in math, yet later in life, she becomes one of the city’s best DJs, mixing music with her legs instead of her hands. She still uses math daily counting beats, calculating income but the system never accounted for that. By conventional standards, she was called a failure.

I was fortunate to experience something different. Recently, I graduated from the @ilabAfrica Neurodivergents Program at Strathmore University, a program designed to tap into the potential of neurodiverse individuals in technology. It offered training in Web Development, Game Development, Mobile Applications, Graphic Design, Animation, and Robotics.

On graduation day, as I held my certificate, I noticed the detailed performance report attached to it. It didn’t emphasize memorization or conformity. Instead, it reflected growth, creativity, problem-solving, and practical learning.

Each course revealed areas where I could shine. Robotics and gaming challenged me—not because I lacked understanding, but because operating two controls at once was sometimes difficult for my hands. That was my version of the “tree test.” It wasn’t about intelligence or curiosity; it was simply a physical limitation. What made the program different is that it didn’t measure me by my challenges alone. It created space to discover where I thrive, to celebrate creativity, and to grow in confidence. Today, I can design, plan, and conceptualize a game or robot—and then collaborate with others to bring it to life.

That, to me, is what real education should be: discovering each person’s unique strengths and testing those. As we mark Dyslexia Awareness Month this October, may we challenge the old system of unfair comparisons. Let the monkey be tested in climbing, and the fish in swimming. Only then will education truly be fair.

Article by: Elsa Wanderi