Archive note: This text comes from the old archive of Nomika Epilekta and is preserved with care for historical and informational reading.

The term "School Failure" refers to the partial or total inability of the student to respond to the demands of school, whether this is expressed through low performance in lessons, through problematic behavior, or through a combination of the two.

Today school is a fairly pressuring environment in relation to the search for a workforce with basic knowledge, standardized qualifications, and skills consistent with technological developments. (Panagiotis Giavrimis). Education aims at specific teaching, learning, and psychosocial goals, while the educational framework, as a complex environment (social, cultural, physical, technical), presents the child with certain demands of a motor, emotional, intellectual, and social nature, to which the child is called to respond.

Gresham, in 1996, after research, found that 50% of students function below the average of academic performance. About 25% of children aged 10-17 in the U.S.A. have school performance below the average (Dryfoos 1990), while according to school records 20% of students remain in the same grade once during their educational career.

Some of the causes that lead to this are the following:

  • Poverty - low family income
  • Foreign-language students who have difficulty keeping up with local students
  • In the past, parents and/or siblings have abandoned their schooling
  • Remaining in one or more grades
  • Rejection of the student by classmates and teachers
  • Frequent absences from school

Alongside the above, in our society there are certain behavioral models that influence the student population. Of course, these models have been defined on the basis of a general criterion and take into account neither nationality, nor social origin, nor the family's economic situation and gender.

Thus many students make earnest efforts but still fail to achieve the goals of school. Here the pathology of the educational system itself is located: instead of identifying the particularities of each student, it ignores and generalizes them.

Education is one of the most important factors affecting children's development and their social position in the division of labor later in adult life. (Efstratios Papanis). At the moment when the student leaves school, he or she gradually comes face to face with social exclusion, passing through the following stages:

  • 1. The student begins to face problems at school or at home (violence, isolation, etc.)
  • 2. Then the student begins to fail, either in grades or at the level of behavior, and may perhaps abandon education.
  • 3. Then the student begins to be excluded from economically active life
  • 4. Unemployment (a subgroup of unemployed and poorly educated persons)
  • 5. Stage of total social exclusion

According to the National Statistical Service, there is an increase in students referred to medical-pedagogical services either because of low performance at school or because of the student's failure to advance to the next grade.

Greece holds a high position on the list of countries with high rates of school failure. The current perception is that students who fail either lack "natural gifts" or are indifferent and lazy:

"Those who cannot learn", "The unteachable", "The incapable", "The indifferent", "The lazy", "The delayed"

With such labels, students are considered solely responsible for their school performance, and this is observed not only in the family but also in the school environment, which is harsh and merciless, placing students at the "bottom" of the grading scale and burdening them with permanent labels.

Yet we must approach such a serious issue as school failure with honesty. Therefore we can say that behind the students who "cannot learn" there are poor, disadvantaged environments, without expectations, and inadequate and powerless parents. Behind the "lazy" students there are tired, prejudiced, and unsupported teachers. It is therefore much easier to conclude: "But he is simply lazy"

Mental health specialists speak of the phenomenon of the self-fulfilling prophecy. (Brophy & Good, 1970) When the teacher expects his students to be "lazy" and "no good" and tells them so directly, it is very easy for the vulnerable child to believe it. Inevitably, the child then behaves exactly as others expect, in a way that verifies the declared prophecy.

Of course, not all teachers are the same, and it would be wrong to approach them too in a generalized way.

The term "lazy" is attributed to a child, even if the child does not do well in only one lesson or sport, first of all by the parents. As if all children must be good at everything, excellent students, excellent piano players, and very good at football. Failure in one of these is often generalized, disappointing not only the parents, who try to see "what is happening, we gave him everything", but mainly the child, who feels that whatever he or she does will not be enough to please the parents. This can be incredibly painful for the child, who is left to believe that "there is no I cannot, there is only I do not want to". However, it will not be long before the child shows anxiety about the unrealistic expectations placed upon him or her.

However, for a student to be "good" at school, the student must also have the corresponding support from the family environment. In conclusion, then, we observe below the profile of the parents of so-called "good" and "bad" students:

PARENTS OF GOOD STUDENTS

High expectations for their children's future
Strict methods of discipline
Regular contact with teachers
Trust in their children's judgment
They systematically check their children's homework
Active participation in the children's daily life
They believe in education as a value and not as a means of social advancement
Great cohesion in the family

PARENTS OF BAD STUDENTS

They do not believe in education as a value but as a means of finding better work
They place exclusive responsibility on their children for their failures, ignoring their own share of responsibility
They do not participate actively in their children's daily life

We could also look at the profile of good and bad students:

GOOD STUDENTS

They come to school with good physical health, intelligence, sociability, and self-esteem. They are accepted by students and teachers. Success brings success.

BAD STUDENTS

They come to school with poorer physical health, limited mental abilities and social skills, while they have low self-esteem. Because they are not accepted by students and teachers, they are often treated with hostility.

The so-called "bad" students seem trapped in a vicious circle, since just as success brings success, failure also brings failure. Thus the student lowers expectations from the next performance, or rarely may react to failure by increasing expectations.

At this point it would be useful to mention an unfortunate paradox, as observed by Robert & Birney. (Fear of Failure 1969) The goals and rewards that society insists are worth our efforts and struggle are achieved and won by only one portion of those who take part in this merciless competition. The measure of success is essentially determined by who and how many others have accomplished the same thing. The successful person also needs those who have failed.

Addressing school failure

It would certainly be very encouraging in itself if we could speak about preventing school failure. Through compensatory education, it is very useful to create reception classes, remedial teaching sections, enrichment of the curriculum and teaching with innovative and student-centered approaches, as well as interventions that empower non-privileged groups.

As regards dealing with cases of school failure, we can say that it is particularly difficult, since the student will already have deeply felt the failure and this will be a major blow to morale. Support will be needed not only from a mental health counselor, in some schools there is a counselor, but also from teachers and parents.

Dimitra Theofili, Social Worker - Psychotherapist,

www.dimitratheofili.gr
dimitratheofili@yahoo.com
2107226438