EDITORIAL: Lookout for disadvantaged students
Another academic school year has come to a close. Many students are now rejoicing, having successfully completed the Common Entrance Exam or having received a good report card that signals their promotion to a higher class. They should be commended for a job done well. However, we cannot ignore the disadvantaged students who have not performed well and who may ultimately be left to fall through the cracks.
As such, the nation’s teachers at the primary and secondary levels especially, should determine next school year to pay close attention to students who seem not to be excelling. This is not really the norm, but if we keep in mind that each student counts, then it is only fair that we focus attention on those who may be disadvantaged in some way or another. We have seen it in our school system so many times, where teachers push those who are already making it to the top and somehow ignore those who seem not so academically inclined. However, attention must be given to the students who do have potential, but who seem to lock away that potential deep inside for varying reasons.
Many students come from broken and dysfunctional homes and we all know that the family environment can have a tremendous impact on children and how they thrive in their critical years. While teachers do not necessarily have to become counsellors, it is clear that teachers do need additional training, so that they can pick up on critical signals that indicate that a child is struggling, so that that child can get help as early as possible. Sometimes, all it takes is for an adult to simply show interest in a child, for that child to feel like someone special and for that child to make an extra effort in the area of school work. On the other hand, some problems cannot be solved that easily and stronger intervention strategies are needed to get troubled students back on track.
Perhaps we can make use of a number of the counselling agencies around, since we seem not to have an adequate supply of school psychologists on hand and guidance counsellors need the help. Perhaps children who seem to be acting out should be placed into compulsory counselling sessions, where they will be able to explore the areas troubling them and adopt behaviour modification strategies that will aid them in the future. Those who successfully navigate such a programme should get some recognition, thereby turning a negative situation into a positive one. Students could also get assistance with school work or be assigned to mentors via such a programme. This way we can be sure that we are treating the causes and not just the symptoms.
Maybe we can also see a peer mentorship programme established for new students at the secondary level. The peer mentoring relationship would indeed foster a network of support for needy students in our secondary schools. Trustworthy mentors would be matched with selected mentees, who will serve as peer support personnel for these students, working to ensure their grades improve and that they develop academic and social skills. Mentoring programmes for youth will be especially useful for students who are suffering from a lack of social support and may be susceptible to delinquency.
So again, while we celebrate our children and youth who have done well and deservingly so, let us start to focus some attention on those who may need an extra helping hand, to bring their full attention to the fore.