Students are restless, provide pastoral care

As learners settle in their new school routines following the disruptions of 2020, extra care must be taken to ensure they receive the support they need to ensure their mental and emotional wellbeing, education experts say.

Schools and educators should know students are not just continuing with their educational journeys but trying to adjust after a 10-month break, hence the cases of student unrest. 

Jenny Coetzee, managing director at Crawford International School Kenya, says, “It has been so wonderful to welcome our students back. The energy is palpable and the excitement clear. However, we are very aware of the fact that 2020 took its toll on everyone, not least school-going children, and that they return after a year that for many would have been traumatic, frustrating, lonely and isolating.”

Crawford is a brand of Africa’s largest private education provider, ADvTech.

Cotezee says the past year has had a significant impact on the mental and emotional wellbeing of most people, and young children have not escaped the impact of Covid-19 and the curfews in this regard.

A September report by the Centre for Disease Control noted that Covid-19 affected children directly and indirectly, beyond getting sick or the threat of them or their loved ones falling ill. Many children’s social, emotional and mental well-being have been impacted by the pandemic.

Listed as contributing factors to this impact were: Changed routines; Breaks in continuity of learning; Breaks in continuity of healthcare; Significant life events that were missed; and loss of safety and security.

“Simply put, the students we said goodbye to last year when schools closed due to Covid-19 are not the same students who recently returned to us. They were faced with unprecedented upheaval and uncertainty for months on end, and some even the loss of loved ones, and these experiences would have, to varying degrees, impacted on their mental and emotional wellbeing,” Coetzee said.

“It should not be business as usual for the time being. We as educators need to be aware that on top of the demands of providing the highest quality of academic excellence, we should also be cognisant that our students may require increased levels of compassion, support and empathy.”

She says this should continue until we have settled into our new routines under what remains unusual circumstances, which include social distancing and wearing of masks.

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

Pastoral refers to the part of the work of teachers and priests that involves giving help and advice about personal matters.

An educational institution that provides pastoral care recognises the need for it to ensure the holistic welfare of children. It aims to ensure children are safe, engaged, involved and able to fulfil their potential.

Angelica Ouya, education director at the Makini Group of Schools and sister school of Crawford, agrees on the importance of pastoral care as students settle in, saying educators must aim to be more empathetic and flexible.

“Don’t expect things to pick up where they left off 10 months ago,” she says. “Returning to the new normal while we are still dealing with the challenge of Covid will take time.”

The situation is worsened by gaps in learning because some students could continue online, while others could not.

“So while we are phasing in, expectations must be tempered and education needs to happen on more fronts than purely academic,” Ouya says.

“We’ve seen Covid again underscore the importance of the cultivation of 21st Century and Soft Skills, so we as educators have an important role to play during this time of transition, to help our students build their resilience and growth mindsets.”

Coetzee says it is heartening to see how enthusiastic students and their families, as well as educators, are about the return to physical school.

“Even if things remain a little strange, getting back into a routine provides a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, that life may slowly be returning to normal. And with our schools now open again, it’s almost as if there is some energy being generated again that will be to the benefit of the whole nation.”

Ouya says that while the past year came with unprecedented challenges, it has also led to some remarkable stories of resilience and growth under difficult circumstances.

“At Makini, we’ve had to adapt and adjust to ensure our students are able to progress despite constraints. In doing so, we were able to introduce new formats of learning as well as a new curriculum, the Cambridge curriculum. We are grateful also for the lessons learned last year, as we were able to not only survive, but innovate and develop.”

Coetzee says that 2020 showed that when one is under pressure, you should adapt and see how you can do things differently.

“For instance, look to live streaming, additional offerings and more options. However, all being said and done, student needs are better served when they can learn within a safe, supportive and structured environment, surrounded by their peers where possible,” she says.

“While we still have a way to go to put the effects of 2020 behind us, 2021 provides a fresh start for all educators to reconnect with the young people in their care and provide them with a solid foundation for the future.”

For more information or to register for upcoming webinars introducing the new offering, visit www.makinischool.ac.ke.

For more information about Cambridge International School Kenya, visit www.crawfordinternationalschool.com .