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The psychological effects on kids who repeat a grade

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Repeating a grade could have long-term psychological effects on children if the parents and teachers fail to handle their trauma well.

This is according to Lynne Cawood, the director of Childline Gauteng, who was speaking ahead of the re-opening of schools this week. Childline is a nonprofit organisation that provides counselling services to children and families in need after incidents of sexual abuse or violence.

City Press reached out to Cawood, who is a psychologist, as thousands of pupils, including children in the lowest grades who failed last year, prepare to repeat the same class this year.

Cawood said failing a grade could be disheartening for young children and, if not handled well by parents and teachers, could result in the child being discouraged. The child could also lose their self-esteem or end up with behavioural problems.

They could also indulge in high-risk behaviour such as alcohol and drug abuse. She said Childline recommended that parents:

  • Talk to their children openly about failure and reassure them that being held back a grade is not the end of the world. They should cite examples of famous personalities who have positively contributed to society despite those initial failures.
  • Have the child assessed for them to understand the problem and take corrective action.

“An occupational therapy assessment and treatment before the age of eight can be very helpful in correcting developmental delays. This should be mandatory for all children before they start school as many problems can be corrected at this stage,” Cawood said.

  • Start reading to your children from an early age, and encourage reading.

Cawood said boys have a higher failure rate in the lower grades, but they “catch up in high school due to different developmental processes”.

She said boys were often harshly disciplined, which affected their openness to learning.

Cawood said the reasons for failing a grade may also be linked to poor nutrition in the early stages of the child’s development.

“A food supplement with all the necessary nutrients is highly recommended to ensure [the child’s] optimal development.”

Other factors could be a lack of access to early childhood development opportunities, which hinders optimal development at the appropriate age, she said.

Hindrances to academic achievement
Hindrances to academic achievement

This makes it difficult to catch up once the child is in school. She said parents could provide stimulation by reading to and playing with the child daily.

Cawood said social problems such as neglect, single-parent families and poverty played a role in many cases.

In Gauteng, she said only 50% of children were living with both parents, and 1.7 million youngsters in the province lived in poverty.

Unsupportive families that fail to provide homework assistance due to neglect or an inability to do so also play a part in the child’s development.

“Psychological issues such as high levels of anxiety, sleeping problems and problems at home such as domestic violence do not allow the child to concentrate optimally at school,” Cawood said.

“Attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity disorder and other learning problems can result in failure. Assessment and treatment are highly recommended for these children as multiple failures exacerbate the risk of behavioural problems later in life,” she said.

Cawood said unsupervised time spent on social media or playing TV games was also detrimental.

In addition, problems within the school environment such as bullying and poor relationships with teachers make the child fearful and unable to concentrate.

“It is really important to provide a supportive and loving environment free of fear for children. Not every child will be an academic [achiever], but each one has a talent that they can develop to make a positive contribution to their family, community and the greater South Africa,” Cawood said. – Msindisi Fengu

  • Contact Childline on 080 005 5555


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