Pupils referred to the programme may be unmotivated, suffer from low self-esteem, and are identified to be at the risk of taking “the wrong path if help is not rendered,” notes Mr Bernard Mackenzie, the school’s full-time counsellor. “At the same time, these pupils have also shown a great interest in sporting activities so we thought we’d use sport as a tool to reach out to them, and to help them work on their issues of low motivation and poor self-esteem.”

Lessons in sports, lessons in life

The Y.E.S. Club kicked off floorball early last year, and the response has been nothing short of enthusiastic. A five-a-side game - floorball is played using composite or carbon sticks (akin to hockey sticks) to aim the ball into the opponent’s net to score a goal. Though it sounds easy, the game is a test of the players’ technical skills, speed and manoeuvres, and requires dedication, fitness and practice - in other words, it demands engagement, focus and perseverance on a sustained basis.

“We also developed a support group for the pupils, and through the sharing sessions, they realise that they are not alone in their problems,” says Mr Mackenzie. “A few of them have even formed their own study groups where they help each other with schoolwork, or revise together. In this way, they motivate each other too.”

Reflective journalling helps participants in the Y.E.S. Club consolidate what they have learnt.

In 2007, the Club had fewer than 10 pupils, from Pri 4 to Pri 6. This year, the group has grown to over 20 pupils, from Pri 3 to Pri 6, though not all were referred by their teachers. “A few of the members asked if their friends could join us, and I said yes. I think it’s good to get them into the group early, before any problems might surface,” explains Mr Mackenzie.

The Y.E.S. Club meets once a week for two hours each time. “We’ll practise for about an hour, then we’ll sit down and talk about how various aspects of the game relate to everyday life,” says Mr Mackenzie. “For example, the ball could symbolise the pupil’s ambition. By learning to dribble the ball, the pupil learns that he is able to control the direction his life takes. As he dribbles it around the plastic cones (which are obstacles), he knows he can ‘overcome’ the obstacles he meets in life. If he falls, he must get up and continue on, stronger the second time around.”

Older Club members also take on leadership roles. For instance, they may conduct some of the training sessions while Mr Mackenzie supervises, or captain their teams during matches. Last year, the Pri 6 pupils conducted two floorball clinics: one for full-time counsellors from other schools, one for pupils from the Society of the Physically Disabled.

The Club has seen positive changes in its members. “One of the Y.E.S. Club girls, now in Sec 1, used to find studies very stressful. She also had low self-esteem. She recently called me to say how much she is enjoying her schoolwork; she’s also been nominated as a prefect!” reports Mr Mackenzie. “Another boy used to fly into a rage at the smallest provocation. He’s so much better now as he can walk away from a potentially explosive situation for a self-imposed ‘time-out’. His attitude towards schoolwork has also improved.” Mr Mackenzie also works closely with the parents and form teachers of his Club members.

Meaningful engagement in CCA allows pupils the opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie of training and working as a team.

Helping at-risk students through school

Juying Primary School’s programme to identify and monitor at-risk pupils is an example of early intervention programmes schools are implementing to keep the school dropout rate low. With the additional measures proposed by the Committee on Reducing Attrition in Education, chaired by Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education (MOE), Mr Masagos Zulkifli, it is hoped that more pupils will remain in school and achieve a minimum 10 years of education, so that they can subsequently get a post-secondary education.

With the latest initiatives, some schools can look forward to more manpower resources such as an additional Full-time School Counsellor and Operations Manager who will help the school provide greater outreach, and coordinate school, home and community support for the pupils.

To facilitate teachers in identifying students at-risk earlier, MOE is enhancing screening tools for students with behavioural and emotional difficulties or who have special needs. These tools are based on the interactions and observations of teachers and school counsellors. These will help them to provide timely support to the students and to plan the best pathway for intervention, including referrals to specialists where appropriate.

A monitoring system will also be developed to help teachers track the development of individual students (e.g. holistic development of the children, learning and emotional needs). This will include alerts on early signals of students at risk of dropping out. Some of the early signals include high absenteeism rates, little or no participation in school activities or programmes and weak academic interest. These tools can help teachers design appropriate learning structures and processes for their students to improve the quality of learning.

Strengthening student achievement will also be emphasised and this will be achieved through meaningful engagement in Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs), and Education and Career Guidance. The aims of Education and Career Guidance (ECG) are to help students develop aspirational goals and support their efforts in working toward their goals. For at-risk students who do not have clear goals, ECG will help them identify or clarify goals that are appropriate to their interests. It will also help them develop concrete plans to succeed in what they have set out to do.

Establishing closer partnership with community groups to provide comprehensive and holistic support for students is also of key focus. Community groups have the expertise to address cases that require community based intervention with the students and their parents. Schools will look into greater engagement of Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) to work with the families of at-risk pupils. MOE will also work closely with the Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to leverage on their existing programmes with some of the students at-risk.

For more information, read the MOE press release “Helping Students Who Are At-risk of Dropping-Out Stay in School”.