GLASGOW, Scotland, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Scottish singer Susan Boyle says she was tormented as a child by classmates and teachers because she suffered from learning disabilities.
The 48-year-old performer became on overnight sensation last spring when she gave an unexpectedly spectacular performance on "Britain's Got Talent." Her debut album is set for release next week.
"You're looking at someone who would get the belt every day. 'Will you shut up, Susan!' Whack!" Boyle told The Glasgow Herald. "I was often left behind at school because of one thing or another. I was a slow learner.
... I'm a wee bit slower at picking things up than other people. So you get left behind in a system that just wants to rush on, you know? That was what I felt was happening to me. There was discipline for the sake of discipline back then. But it's all very different now. I think teachers are taught to understand children with learning disabilities a lot better. ... There's nothing worse than another person having power over you by bullying you and you not knowing how to get rid of that thing."
