IntroductionThere is currently only about 43% of all kids leaving the school system per year! Of the near 1.5 million children that start school in grade 1, only 850 thousand finish. Only 10% of these will continue their studies at tertiary level, and from these, only about 10% (approximately 8500) will receive a qualification. That leaves us with less than 1% of all the youth with a post-school qualification!
The Problem This whole affair can be attributed to: - The shortfall of pre-school learning stimulation - The majority of the youth at pre-school level don't get the opportunity to play with puzzles, blocks, do basic calculations or get to develop basic listening skills (to listen to stories, read basic books, etc.)
- Parents that are themselves illiterate - They don't necessarily realise the importances that their children must be stimulated, need to be played with, etc. (the example of parents that want to be educated or have been educated, plays a major role!). If parents never had the opportunity, then through motivating their children to learn, a learning environment can be created and promoted. As example, only using the television on weekends, o when the children have gone to bed.
- Malnutrition - If children do not receive the necessary chemical compounds for their body's, it can influence their learning capabilities massively! The cognitive parts of the brain need certain chemicals to increase the communication channel's speed and capabilities. By teaching the children incorrect eating patterns, especially now in the time of fast foods, does more harm than good to any person!
- Structures at schools to assist students with their research - These include:
- The shortage of libraries, research materials, books, magazines en even dailies (newspapers, etc.)!
- The shortage of computers and internet facilities. Although the internet cannot be assumed to give everything about a certain subject, but the range of subjects at least does help some!
- The amount of parents that can give guidance to their children doing research.
The Solution - Parents have to be encouraged to assist their children when doing their research, encouraging their children to work hard at school and especially giving their children pre-school stimulation by reading them books or just by playing with them.
- Churches must change their centers to have a research facility with research materials like books, magazines and daily publications.
- Youths that are unemployed (but have finished their schooling) can, as an example, be used by schools, to assist those parent's (that are illiterate) children, with research and other homework.
If all of us can stand together and help the youth reach and discover, to cultivate and to develop their full potential, then and only then, will we be able to reduce the brain drain!
Youth at HEART Development recently came into an agreement with the University of Pretoria (the Department of Psychology and the Itsoseng Clinic in Mamelodi) to present courses in Youth Development and Youth Counseling. Read more about the types of counselling that Youth at HEART Development provides.
|
