National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Co-ordinator Carol Benn says that the pilot Voluntary Mentoring programme which comee to an end this month has positively transformed targeted student indiscipline, and some of these students are now role models to their colleagues and have also taken on the role of peer mentors.
According to a Ministry of Education press release, the students who were selected to undergo the programme now have an upbeat attitude towards their peers and teachers and have recorded improvements in their academic performance.
The one-year project which significantly supports the work of the Schools’ Welfare Department to create more violence free schools and promote environments that are conducive to learning is being piloted at St. Winifride’s, St. Mary’s, Dolphin, Tutorial, and Houston Secondary.
The pilot programme which has gained widespread support from headteachers and parents will continue, the national PTA coordinator said, adding that it will be extended to five more schools by May this year.
The programme aims to inculcate acceptable behaviours in students, promote tolerance and address some of the challenges facing the education system which include violence and low academic performance by some students.
The intervention also has at its core the strengthening of relations between the school, home and community.
Under the programme, a student (mentee) was paired with a former student or another person considered suitable (mentor).
During the pilot, the mentor, the mentee and his/her parent/guardian and the latter was introduced to a range of activities such as concerts, exhibitions, and family outings. They also interacted on a number of issues, particularly those of interest to the mentee.
Some 50 teachers along with 25 youth advocates and 100 student mentors have been tasked to deliver the programme which is also supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the release added.
