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NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021 – 10 TIPS TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE AS THEY TRAVEL TO AND FROM SCHOOL

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021 – 10 TIPS TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE AS THEY TRAVEL TO AND FROM SCHOOL

by | May 30, 2021 | Child and Adolescent Psychology, Community and Engagement, Community Engagement, Mental Health Advocacy

Travelling to and from school can be very dangerous without proper parental care and supervision.

 SaferSchools suggest the following steps to keep our children safe:

(https://www.saferschools.co.za/travelling-to-and-from-school/)

  1. Map out with your children a safe way for them to walk to school or to the bus/ taxi/ transport service stop. Try to avoid busy roads and intersections as well as areas that are too isolated. Do a trial run with them to point out places they should avoid along the way, such as vacant lots, construction areas, and parks where there aren’t many people.
  2. Encourage children to walk to school or the bus stop with a sibling, friend or familiar adults, and to wait at bus stops with other children. Familiarize yourself and be social with the neighbours who live on your street, as they can also be an extra set of eyes for you. Ask them to walk with your child when possible.
  3. Remind children not to talk on their phones or play games whilst walking or traveling. Their phones should not be visible at all and they should pay attention to their surroundings.
  4. Organize supervised walking groups in your neighbourhood where adults take turns to walk groups of children to school or to their transport stops.
  5. Teach children to follow traffic signals and rules when walking or biking. Stress that they should cross the street at crosswalks or intersections with crossing guards when they can.
  6. Teach children to not make unnecessary conversation with strangers, go anywhere with them, or accept gifts from them without your permission. Tell them that if they see a suspicious stranger hanging around, or in their school, they should tell an adult.
  7. Help children memorize their phone number and full address. Write down other important phone numbers such as your work and cell phone on a card for your children to carry with them.
  8. If your child walks to school, ensure that they are well equipped for all weather conditions; a nice umbrella to use if it suddenly starts to rain – the weather often changes during the course of the day, and you might not be there to drive them home. During the rainy season, be sure to invest in a rain coat for them – it will make them look cool, as well as save them from getting wet.
  9. If you are making use of a transport service, ensure that the company is reputable. Provide them with all your contact details and ensure that you know the routes and schedules the follow.
  10. Teach your child basic self-protection techniques.
NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021 – COVID-19 AND EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021 – COVID-19 AND EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR

by | May 27, 2021 | Child and Adolescent Psychology, Community and Engagement, Community Engagement, COVID-19, Mental Health Advocacy

2020 is a year best forgotten for the infamous  COVID-19 Virus  pandemic unleashing its fatal fury on the entire World. No country was spared as this unseen formidable foe  swathe nation after nation with death and socio-economic destruction. So devastatingly contagious that the earthly planet was plunged  into an unprecedented Lockdown to prevent human contact and transmission. Such an extreme response left in its wake incalculable disaster in almost every sphere of Life.

Highly developed, developing and under-developed countries were not spared the crushing  effects of the unrelenting Virus. However,  it is argued that the greatest ruinous  effects are felt in the so-called vulnerable population. In general, the Informal Sector, but in particular school-going children.

Children from the Informal Sector traditionally experience abject poverty,  gross deficiency and a poor quality  of life under the most compromised conditions. The one saving Grace is that medical experts hold that at present children are not the most susceptible to the effects of the Virus. They are still not immune to the Virus but present with less severe symptoms. The myriad of deleterious and ravaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is beyond the scope of this attenuated brief.

Unemployed parents from the  Informal Sector who themselves lowly schooled and struggling to eke out an existence play little or no beneficial roles in promoting their children’s educational  progress during this extraordinary crisis. Domestic social ills further reduce the poorly performing academic levels of the latter.

In addition, sudden and unplanned school-closure precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic was bound to profoundly impact children from the Informal Sector.  Large numbers of these children attend poorly resourced schools. It is not likely that such schools adequately prepared their impressionable charges for any transition to a  highly deprived  home environment.

It is moot to what extent so-called remote learning was a reality with these seriously disadvantaged  children. Further, a lack of electricity and the unavailability of technology like computers, wi-fi and internet connectivity make online learning impossible. Hard copy notes and worksheets were not readily supplied. The March to September 2020 Lockdown has exacerbated what is already a parlous    household situation. Without any or adequate educational stimulation these ill-equipped children are bound to have cumulative learning loss.  The unequal access of technology is likely to have widened the learning gap. The  return to school was necessary but almost perfunctory. The classroom contact time was reduced  and almost halved with the Curriculum inevitably syncopated.  The Testing programme did not encompass the breath of the Curriculum and it can be conjectured that there could have been relaxation with promotion and progression requirements. It is true that all children experienced the same scenario. The convenience of the adjusted school arrangements definitely does not enhance the academic well-being of children from impoverished and depressed  socio-economic environments. Will these environmentally impaired children ever:

  • …return to any semblance of normalcy?
  • …cope with navigating the transition from school to the demanding home circumstance?
  • …realise their full cognitive potential in an uncertain future?

There is no reference  to  the disruption in the lives of LSEN children who are so-called not neuro-typical. Their unyielding circumstances is a subject for its own discussion.

We are inextricably linked to the business of Education. It behooves all Psychologists, let alone Educational Psychologists to contribute to the re-building in such children’s engagement, highlight  the overwhelming  plight of such desperate children,  play advocacy roles and mitigate the tremendous risks  for one of the most neglected sectors of this vulnerable  population especially during Child Protection Week and always.

Dr N Chetty-Educational Psychologist.  SEPSA Vice-Chairperson. May 11,2021.

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021 – Keeping Our Children Safe

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021 – Keeping Our Children Safe

by | May 27, 2021 | Child and Adolescent Psychology, Community and Engagement, Community Engagement, Mental Health Advocacy

KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE

Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.

 – Walt Disney

Children are our future. It is therefore our responsibility to care for and protect our children so that they can be become responsible adults who in turn, take care of their children and future.  We need to work together to build cultures of caring, respect, and safety for everyone in our families, schools, youth organizations, religious institutions, companies, and other groups.

Individuals as well as organizations need to know how to take charge of the safety of the young people in their care and how to stop abuse, bullying, harassment, and other dangerous behaviour by doing the following:

  1. Put safety first
    • Make all forms of emotional and physical violence and abuse explicitly and publicly against the rules.
    • Everyone needs to know what safe behaviour is and what is not, including hygiene, supervision of activities, driving, swimming, personal safety, and so on.
    • Everyone needs to know what the rules are about safe and appropriate behaviour and what the consequences are of not upholding the rules.
    • Adults should be in charge of keeping kids safe. We want children to take charge of their own safety as best they can, but the bottom line is that adults are responsible for ensuring that children are protected from harm until they are able to protect themselves. In any case, it is NEVER the child’s fault if an adult does something unsafe.
  1. Make it safe for everyone to speak up.
    • Children need to know that unsafe behaviour, especially by an adult in charge, should NEVER have to be a secret, even if you already promised to keep it a secret.
    • Speaking up takes both skill and courage. Even young children can learn how to stay, “Please stop.” Or, “That’s not safe!” And young people can learn that it is never too late to tell.
    • Children need to know where or whom to go to, to report unsafe behaviour. They have to know that it is OK to be persistent in getting the help they need. Children should learn how to find adults who will listen and how to keep asking until an adult helps to solve the problem.
  1. Uphold the rules in a fair, equitable fashion
    • Have clear agreements and rules about what is and is not safe or appropriate in your environment.
    • Have appropriate consequences for unsafe behaviour and communicate those consequences clearly.
    • No one is above the rules – no matter their position of power, prestige or privilege.

LET’S ALL WORK TOGETHER IN

KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE

https://www.keepingchildrensafe.global

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021

by | May 26, 2021 | Child and Adolescent Psychology, Community and Engagement, Community Engagement, Mental Health Advocacy

National Child Protection Week is commemorated in the country annually to raise awareness of the rights of children as articulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and Children’s Act (Act No. 38 of 2005).

The aim of Child Protection Week (CPW) in South Africa is to raise awareness on the need to protect children against abuse, exploitation, neglect and all forms of violence.

South Africans can support Child Protection Week by ensuring that the most vulnerable in our society do not suffer abuse. We do this by not only educating our children about their rights, but also by educating the adults, parents, guardians and teachers who are responsible for protecting those rights.

  • Children need to know how to report abuse, how to stand up for and protect themselves, to refrain from bullying each other and engaging in illegal activities.
  • Families can be provided with parenting skills that prevents violence.
  • Religious and community leaders need to be positive role models and speak out against violence.
  • Health workers, social workers, teachers and other professionals need to be able to identify and refer children at risk to support services.
  • Police, social workers and the judiciary need to ensure that when children or families report violence, they get eh help they need. Effective, timely action must then be taken to keep them safe, and services be made available to support their recovery.

 

You can get help at:

  • Childline South Africa: 0800 055 555
  • Child Welfare South Africa: 0861 4 CHILD (24453) / 011 452-4110 / e-mail: info@childwelfaresa.org.za

 

Raising awareness on Child Rights during Child Protection Week | UNICEF South Africa

https://www.gov.za/ChildProtectionWeek2021

International Nurses Day 2021: “Nurses: A Voice to Lead”

International Nurses Day 2021: “Nurses: A Voice to Lead”

by | May 12, 2021 | Community and Engagement, Community Engagement, Divisions, Mental Health Advocacy, Psychology in Public Service (PiPS)

PsySSA pays tribute to nurses on International Nurses Day

PsySSA calls upon both the public and private sector to ensure that nurses and other healthcare workers have access to safe work environments and sufficient personal protective equipment.

The Psychological Society (PsySSA) pays tribute to nurses on International Nurses Day (12th May). International Nurses Day is celebrated on the birthday of Florence Nightingale, widely considered to be the founder of modern nursing. The theme for this year is “Nurses: A Voice to Lead”. Nurses constitute the largest group of healthcare professionals and they play a pivotal role in achieving the health indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals. With an understanding of the intersections between health, socioeconomic and psychosocial factors; nurses are ideally placed to provide healthcare and health promotion services to communities and advocate for better health for all. Today, we acknowledge and celebrate the enormous contribution of nurses in working towards achieving global Universal Health Coverage.

On this day, we pause to express our gratitude to nurses around the world, and South Africa specifically, for their selfless dedication to healthcare. We acknowledge the many personal sacrifices and risks that nurses face every day in their workplaces. Nurses have always been at the healthcare ‘frontlines’ – fighting epidemics and outbreaks; providing lifesaving care to patients while also promoting healthy lifestyles and behaviours. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted this life saving work. Through innovation and a holistic and patient centred approach, nurses have brought health, humanity and dignity to millions of people all over the world. In the service of humanity, many nurses have lost their lives. We pay tribute to them; we honour them and wish their families and loved ones comfort in this difficult time.

PsySSA calls upon both the public and private sector to ensure that nurses and other healthcare workers have access to safe work environments and sufficient personal protective equipment. Recognising the deleterious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of nurses and other health care personnel, PsySSA wishes to highlight the need for ongoing efforts to support their physical and mental well-being.

Matric Results 2020: Out Now! Podcasts for parents and learners

Matric Results 2020: Out Now! Podcasts for parents and learners

by | Feb 22, 2021 | Community and Engagement, Mental Health Advocacy

22 February 2021

How learners may deal with Grade 12 Outcomes

By Prof Kobus Maree

Click here to listen to the podcast

For learners. What if learners do not achieve the marks required for university admission?

So, the Grade 12 2020 exam results are out. First, I congratulate all of you listening to this podcast. You have had to deal with many challenges in 2020 and I salute you for your resilience.

Those of you that of have not achieved the marks you required for university admission: Of course you must not give up hope. It is not the end of the world.

To begin with: The word ‘fail’ has no place in current society. You have not ever ‘failed’ anything. Instead the phrase ‘insufficient achievement’ is more appropriate. While your current marks will co-determine whether you will be accepted into your preferred field of study, they will not determine if you will be successful in life. Nor will they limit your career prospects. Yes, it hurts when one learns that the outcomes of an examination were less successful than expected. But step back emotionally and interpret the experience logically. All human beings experience success and are less successful from time to time. This is the most normal thing in the world.

If you achieved results that were below your expectations, this is a manageable challenge. Try to see what has happened as an area for growth; an opportunity to demonstrate your resilience and become more adaptable. These are key characteristics and strengths in these rapidly changing and uncertain times. 

Options are for learners to apply for the remarking of their papers, register for and write supplementary exams, or even re-do grade or repeat certain subjects. However, there is no ‘one size that fits all’. Hard work is needed. I urge learners who are determined to achieve better marks to put their words into action. 

Note that one should not be set on a particular tertiary institution, whether it is a university, university of technology, college, or private training institution. While research has shown that people with degrees usually find employment more easily and earn a higher salary than their counterparts, going to university is not the end all and be all. One should not underestimate the value of non-university study. Each study discipline and tertiary training institution should be rated on its own merit. A diploma in e.g. IT or in film studies or a technical qualification in wind turbine service (to name but a few examples) can suit you as a person, but also be enriching. Several specialised diplomas and certificates allow for a range of career opportunities that can make students highly employable and provide them with more opportunities than some common degrees. A tip is to thoroughly research career opportunities for students who have already graduated – both now and in the future. Ask yourself regularly whether you will still be employable in five, 10, or 15 years’ time. 

Lastly: If needs be, if at all possible, please consult a counsellor for career counselling. 

What if learners achieve a Grade 12 exemption pass but it is not strong enough for admission to university? 

They should find out if they can still apply for a similar field of study at a different institution or at another level of training. Establish whether you qualify for an extended or bridging programme. Consult a counsellor for information regarding whether it is advisable to rewrite relevant papers, to have your papers remarked, or to repeat or redo certain subjects. 

If you decide to re-apply during the coming year, take a gap year (only after you have consulted others that have taken a gap year previously, though. before you make up your mind!), work-part-time, or find some other active and constructive way to spend the time. Speak with a person who has not been successful previously but has managed the situation successfully. Here is one example that you might find useful. A student wanted to study medicine but his marks were not good enough. He did not even take Mathematics or Physical Sciences at school. After completing Grade 12, he registered for Mathematics and Physical Sciences at a post-school training institution. Next, he enrolled for a general degree at a university. After achieving excellent outcomes, he gained admission to study medicine. He now is a fourth-year medical student. The truth is: There are different routes to a career. 

For me, over time, learners’ Grade 12 subject symbols will mean very little. Learners should ask themselves what their short-, medium-, and long-term aims are and decide why they are studying; what their end goal is. This surely cannot be to please your family or to outachieve (beat) others. Instead, focus on becoming the best possible version of yourself rather than merely trying to be ‘better’ than someone else. Competing with others serves no purpose. 

All the very best. I assure you that, irrespective of how well you have or have not achieved in your Grade 12 exams, it is very possible to become employable, find work that will enable you to live a meaningful, purposeful, and hope-filled life in which you enact your key life themes and make substantial social contributions. 

For information on bursaries, how to study as well as relax, visit my website at www.kobusmaree.org.

22 February 2021

Tips for Parents on how to deal with the Grade 12 Outcomes 

by Prof Kobus Maree

Click here to listen to the podcast

For parents...What if learners do not achieve the marks required for university admission?

So, the Grade 12 exam results have been released. And while many students are elated, some are not. If a parent feels disappointed when her child is less successful, focusing on what might have been serves little purpose. Of course you must not give up hope. It is not the end of the world.

Here are a few tips. 

  • First: Congratulate your child. She or he has had to deal with many challenges in 2020. Salute them for their resilience. And also salute yourself.
  • Reassure your children and communicate openly. Talk to them. Or text them. Offer them emotional support. Ask them how they feel. Carefully note their body language.
  • Let them know there is a support structure in place; that you regard them as precious, and that you love them unconditionally.
  • Assure your child that this has been just one exam, one transition, and give them hope. Many people do not achieve sufficient marks for their purposes in their Grade 12 exams but go on to be extremely successful in later life. And please note that I do not use the word “fail” here … that negative and meaningless term word has no place in any society. Nobody has ever ‘failed’ any grade or anything else. Instead, we all achieve insufficient results from a certain perspective and in regard to a specific aim.
  • Talking negatively and blaming learners serve no purpose. Be positive and inspiring. Normalise the experience: We all are unsuccessful from time to time. And we all move on and work hard to attain the outcomes we need.
  • If your child acts out and makes you feel miserable, this should be considered ‘normal’ under the circumstances. Do not blame yourself. What has happened does not make you a bad person or a failure.
  • Seek the help of an educational or counselling psychologist if you fear your child is suicidal. Be concerned if, for instance, he or she stops talking, cuts himself or herself off from family and friends, and seems depressed. Suicide in South Africa is on the increase as learners could believe that they have ‘failed’ or have let others and themselves down. Consult a counsellor, phone the SA Depression and Anxiety Group, Life Line, or one of the suicide hotlines.

For me, over time, learners’ Grade 12 subject symbols will mean very little. Help to clarify what their short-, medium-, and long-term aims are and decide why they are studying; what their end goal is. This surely cannot be to please their  family or to outachieve (beat) others. Instead, help them focus on becoming the best possible version of themselves rather than merely trying to be ‘better’ than someone else. Competing with others serves no purpose.

Irrespective of how well your child has or has not achieved in their Grade 12 exams, it is of course possible to become employable, find work that will enable her to live a meaningful, purposeful, and hope-filled life in which she or he enacts their key life themes and make substantial social contributions.

For information on bursaries, how to study as well as relax, visit my website at www.kobusmaree.org.