Guidebook to help parents, educators with children behavioural issues

Story and photos by Lara Pickford-Gordon

snrwriter.camsel@catholictt.org

Mental health should be given attention at the primary school level, Psychiatrist Dr Stafford Pierre said at the launch of Understanding Behavioural Challenges in School—Crafting Peaceful Minds in Our School System at the head office of the Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM), Belmont, on Wednesday February 5.

Dr Pierre said: “Educating children, teachers on how to detect, observe mental health issues, not looking to label anyone but having that in mind, and help the teacher work in collaboration with the parents, the Catholic board to see how we can improve the condition and avoid probably dropouts, avoid students having to leave school. And that would incrementally affect the state of social issues and criminality”.

The guidebook for parents, guardians, teachers and principals of Roman Catholic schools is aimed at dealing with behavioural issues that can impact academic performance.

Agreeing with Dr Pierre, Chief Executive Officer of the CEBM Sharon Mangroo said, “we do have to start teaching people to take care of their mental health from early on”. She told The Catholic News principals were part of the workshops conducted by Dr Pierre and any further assistance needed will be provided.

The principals of the Bethlehem Boys’ RC school, Rosary Boys’ RC and St Francis College, were present to receive copies of the guidebook. Mangroo referred to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children saying there is more emphasis on mental health of young people. She said: “I think we’re now starting to see the impact that being isolated had on so many of them too. We’re talking about the curriculum in schools, the curriculum is not just academic, it has to be that we have to look after their mental well-being.”

The guide will assist educators to be objective in handling behavioural challenges. Dr Pierre  commented, “And to not just look at a behaviour as something that occurs but there are also social, economic, cultural issues that can determine a particular behaviour of a child at the level of primary schools, and even at the level of secondary schools.”

He added that increasing the knowledge of teachers and principals will bring understanding “a child may be behaving in a particular way may be due to external problems not directly related to the affairs of the school”.

He explained bullying, arguments and aggressive behaviour do not have to be caused by genetics but environment. Dr Pierre underscored the role of parents, “parents play a fundamental part in all behaviour issues because it begins at home and transfers to the school itself”.

The principal of Bethlehem Boys’ Sherry-Ann Celestine said having the guidebook was a “plus”. While there is help from the Student Support Services Division (SSSD), cases have gone undetected because of a shortage of staff. “This book will help the principals and teachers do what they can, to assist or even spot mental health issues,” she said.

Robert Gorin, Acting Principal of Rosary, said one of his main focuses was that children were happy. “To ensure they are happy when they come with their problems, I have to be a problem-solver, draw on my vast experience, sometimes it is not enough. This book is an important tool in my toolkit that I’ll be able to draw upon,” he said.

The principal named coping with stress as one issue, for the boys getting ready for the Secondary Entrance Examination (SEA) and those who feel stressed because of things in the household. “Stress comes in all shapes, forms and sizes,” the principal said.

The Acting Principal of St Francis Boys’ College Silina Edwards-Hinds said the guidebook will assist along with the services provided by the ministry’s SSSD. It will help teachers understand the challenges students face in school and classroom and develop strategies to overcome them.

Edwards-Hinds further stated, “We will also be able to design programmes along with the parents, with the Student Support Services, to deal with behaviours which we can sometimes, we can cast aside students and make them feel less worthy of themselves.”

The principal identified the need for teachers to understand mental health and how to work with parents. Using the examples of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism, she stated, “we need parents to understand children who display these signs are not lesser of”.