Understanding student underachievement

Current systems of schooling are based on certain assumptions. It assumes that students would primarily come from the middle and upper classes and thus possess a certain degree of social capital.

When students attempt to access the educational opportunity in a system where all are assumed to possess the same level of social capital, those that don’t are immediately placed at a distinct disadvantage.

There are two main reasons why students underachieve at school.

Underachieving students usually present a portrait that is easily discernible to the trained professional.

Some students have learning disabilities, which oftentimes can go undetected, leaving the child to struggle with school and ultimately believing he/she is a failure. This leads to low self-esteem and this experience can negatively impact such people for the rest of their lives. Despite the best efforts of the Ministry of Education, students who possess learning disabilities are not afforded the kind of attention they deserve.

On the other hand, student underachievement can be the outcome of social deficits. This can begin with parents not instilling in children from a tender age the immense value of education. If children are not told very forcefully that education represents opportunity for a better life, they can’t discern the relevance of schooling and thus the need for them to work hard to succeed.

Education must be seen in their eyes as a top priority family goal, and all resources, effort and energy must be channelled toward its acquisition, failing which schooling becomes meaningless.

Parents also have an obligation to ensure that their children are educated for school, possessing a sense of self-discipline and self-control.

They must impose/enforce limits of behaviour on them. This home preparation is critical to success at school.

Underachieving children usually have a poor understanding of rules of engagement, not appreciating that schooling requires them to share a common space with others.

A lack of self-respect, disrespect for those in authority and a disregard for the rights of others usually characterise the behaviour of many underachieving students.

Parents who do not make the time to spend with their children force them to feel abandoned and neglected. Their emotional quotient becomes very low, for they feel that no one cares. Very often, this is the root cause of anti-social behaviour, whereby the children are simply crying out for attention.

This emotional deficit prevents the child from focusing on academic work, because basic emotional needs are not being met.

Spending quality time with children means talking to them about their likes, dislikes, friends, school life, daily experiences and the like.

This allows parents to truly know their children and bond with them.

Children then feel a sense of value and importance – their existence being validated.

Parents must allow and enable their children to be students at home, ensuring that the efforts of the school are complimented at home. This is the premise of homework.

Children must be able to sit quietly, minus the distractions of televisions, music and mobile phones and engage in a specified amount of academic work, including routine reading. Quality time spent with children will translate into academic success. Parents must control the range of influences on their children. Parents must also collaborate with their children to set and pursue goals and targets, demanding that they be achieved through hard work, perseverance, dedication and commitment. Any attempt to address student underachievement must compensate for some of these social deficits to enable all to have a real opportunity at school success.