JEDDAH, 27 May 2006 — A program focusing on failed 10th grade students from last year gave positive results at the end of this school year. The General Presidency for Girls Education recently held a special ceremony for the 150 students from schools in Jeddah who were at the bottom of their classes last year to reward their success in turning their life around.
“We studied the reasons for the girls’ failure in tenth grade and found that most of it was psychological,” said Etidal Shuaib, assistant director at the presidency and the supervisor of the program.
Earlier in the year, the presidency identified the high rate of failed students in 10th grade, a difficult and crucial year, as an acute problem. Several factors were found to be the cause. They included the home environment, the teacher, the curriculum and the students themselves.
The program, tried in Jeddah for the first time during this school year, focused on the student’s emotional and mental perceptions. At the end of the year, 94 percent of the students who participated in the program passed with flying colors.
They devised a short-term plan for immediate intervention to help the girls and a long-term plan under the theme “Jeddah Without Failure” as a national program. The research found that the failed students had low self-esteem and self-confidence, doubted their abilities and skills and had a negative attitude.
One student said that after hearing so much about how difficult 10th grade was she just gave up trying.
“The girls were frustrated, depressed and hostile. We focused on raising their confidence and on finding their points of strength and working on their weaknesses,” said Almas Al-Hijin, one of the two psychologists who conducted the program.
Four full-day sessions, two in each semester, were held at two training centers.
In the first semester, the sessions focused on bringing out their talents and supporting them by encouraging self-expression and giving them the respect they needed. It was apparent that some of their teachers and parents played a role in their negative self-perception.
The second semester focused on giving them skills in life, such as setting goals and achieving them, having a positive outlook and time-management.
Although some students still performed poorly, they have nevertheless made an improvement in their attitude, said program directors. Students who need extra attention will be monitored an assisted throughout the school year.
“I noticed the change in the students in their studies and in their relationship with their colleagues and in their attitude,” said Hana Jameel, a high-school counselor. She suggested giving such sessions to students as early as elementary school and enrolling counselors in seminars to improve their ability to help students.
Her suggestion became one of the recommendations made at the end of the program.
“We would like to train student guides or create a team that can conduct sessions at the schools and provide other more specific or wider scale training sessions as needed,” said Suad Bokhari, the other psychologist in the program.
