FOUR WAYS TO HELP KEEP STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM

In most remote farming communities in Ghana students will most often substitute the classroom for farming which indeed provides their household with the most basic necessity of life, food. It remains a challenge for teachers in farming communities in Ghana to fight this phenomenon. This article presents four ways that could help keep students in the classrooms.

1.      Education

Parents who are the ones responsible for the welfare of their wards should be educated extensively on the effects of their wards deserting the classroom for the farms. I believe if possible parents should be educated on what goes into planning a lesson. In planning a lesson sometimes teachers have to go places to borrow TLMs (Teaching and Learning Materials) which is not readily available or rather expensive to procure just to deliver a good lesson. If students are not present on a day a lesson is presented it becomes very difficult for teachers to help students make up for the lost period.

I think educating parents would enable them get to know how their wards miss out anytime they are absent from school. This education should not be one-off but continuous to keep reminding parents of their role in keeping their wards in the classroom instead of the farms.

2.      Bonding

This method of keeping students in the classroom might be quite novel but it has really helped me to some extent. The bonding we are most familiar with is the bonding between a husband and a wife or a baby and a mother. Such bonds are very strong, aren’t they?

This bonding is the one between a teacher and his or her students. If teachers and students have stronger bonds, students would be more ready to listen to teachers and even talk to teachers about personal issues bordering them. This will go a long way to help teachers to influence the decisions of students who are mostly inexperienced. Sometimes students go to the farm during school days due to reasons that may be personal but when teachers have stronger bonds with students some of these personal issues could be discussed and solutions could be explored.

By bonding with my students, I have been able to influence the decisions of my students and most of them are ever ready to talk to me about anything! Yes, I mean anything. Today, most my students see me as a best friend instead of a teacher. We relate like co-equals and this has really helped me to get into their minds. Am able to understand the actions of my students and of course why they sometimes go to the farm instead of the school.

3.      Rewards

At the end of every term, teachers record the attendance of each student in reports cards and that’s all. I have seen students compare their attendance records and teasing each about it when report cards are handed to them. Students with the highest attendance should be rewarded one way or the other to serve as an example for the rest to emulate. Who said it’s easy to be in school every day? Even as teachers, sometimes you get so tired and stressed to the extent that you do not have any motivation to go to work. I am of the view that if students are rewarded for making the effort to come to school every day, others will be enticed to be regular at school.

4.      Ambition/Role model

One thing I have discovered among my students is that most do not have any aspiration in life let alone have a role model. I strongly believe that every JHS (Junior High School) student in Ghana should know what they want to become in future. This ambition will drive students to be more responsible and disciplined. You simply cannot aspire become a medical doctor or a teacher if you keep skipping classes. It’s almost impossible. I encourage all teachers, parents and stakeholders in education reading this to assist students to be more ambitious or find a role model to look up to. This I believe will drive students closer to the classroom.

 

 

 

      Edinam  Ahiably-kumordjie

        predahku@gmail.com

        Asuboni No.3 Presby JHS

         Kwahu West