“… advised to repeat.”
Nobody ever wants to see that remark on their child’s end-of-the-session report! Although ideally, remarks like this should not come as a shock to parents, a progression of low grades should have been detected to help curb situations such as having to repeat a class.
But if it does happen, we will let you in on how to handle such situations.
Repeating a class is a very common practice in African schools, and it gets tricky because unlike schools in Europe, ‘do-overs’ are recommended for children in this category, during the Summer. That way, they don’t get to lose anything! In the context of repeating a class, the child instead of progressing with their mates to a higher class stays back in the previous class with junior learners.
Because of how this practice has been over the years, the child instead of focusing on getting their grades up gets affected by an inferiority complex, which at the end of the day, reduces the child’s overall productivity and performance.
Now, let’s crumble this cookie:
These points will help your child have a better re-run of this session;
- You need to have a total mind shift about the concept of repeating a class.
Children can sense emotions easily, and to be able to pass across something convincing to them, you need to put yourself in a space of peace and ease. So, trash away whatever pre-registered thoughts you have gathered towards repeating classes, and see it as a SECOND CHANCE to get it right. Now is not the time to point fingers or blame yourself, it clouds your focus. Rather map out a plan to guide you through the new session.
“You’ve got it in you, so now is the chance to show it”, are some encouraging words you can adopt to help soothe your child’s mind. Help them see the situation as an OPPORTUNITY, rather than a SETBACK.
- Prepare their mind for what is coming.
Don’t be scared to explain what exactly it means to repeat a class to them. Let them know that they have to work twice as hard this new session, the new classmates they are going to have to interact with, how to maximize the opportunity they have, and most importantly, deal with being bullied.
- Encourage them to make new friends, and keep existing friendships
Growing up, I attended a school where repeating classes was rampant, and looking back, students who repeated classes always sat by themselves. They always feared being mocked by their former classmates, and at the same time, they found it awkward to reach out to their new classmates. This should not be the case. Help them understand that friendships have nothing to do with grade levels.
In fact, my very close friends in primary school were two grades higher than I was, and we still had an amazing relationship.
Also, as a parent, you do not always know exactly what is going on in your child’s class, and creating a space where after school, they can share their concerns, stories, and general thoughts with you, helps them ease their burdens faster, enhancing concentration.
- See a professional counsellor
Academic counsellors have a big role to play here, and it is very important to have their opinions in situations like this. You can book a counselling session with a professional counsellor at GRADELY today for FREE! It’s that simple, book an appointment, and get a free session!
Click here to book a free session!
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Eniola Makinde
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