This week, the Education Department announced a national focus on “social capital” – how children connect with each other and are supported.
They’re already looking at how to support students who are struggling to cope.
And now the department is also working on ways to encourage more school speakers to come to school.
But what does that actually mean?
“Social capital” is defined as “the emotional and cognitive well-being of students” – not just the amount of time they spend in class, but how well they communicate and interact with each others’ emotions.
It can be as simple as helping students read their homework, or teaching them to recognise emotional signs such as anger.
“What we’re looking at now is to make sure we can get those social capital messages to the classroom in a way that will allow them to have a better outcome for their learning,” Mr Kowalski said.
But the department has yet to reveal exactly how it will do this.
Some of the key points are that it wants to create a new “school-to-school network” with schools that are able to share more information and help pupils “identify” the school they are attending.
So teachers will have to be trained to be able to recognise the emotional cues they see, and to give the children the support they need.
The aim is to “build a more positive learning environment, where students are more empowered and able to be themselves”.
But it’s not just about getting students to feel good about themselves, and it’s also about helping them to think positively about themselves.
“And that’s what we’re trying to do.” “
What’s in it for you? “
And that’s what we’re trying to do.”
What’s in it for you?
Teachers are now getting more help to support children’s emotional wellbeing through “motivational learning”, where they are asked to help students understand their feelings and help them to develop positive self-talk.
And, in a bid to support pupils with their “personal development”, schools will also have to offer extra support such as tutoring or counselling to ensure pupils “develop the skills to deal with the pressures of the 21st century”.
This could be through the provision of tutoring, or even the teaching of subjects such as maths, science or English to encourage pupils to improve their writing skills.
So while the new emphasis on social capital may be a good idea, it’s unlikely to make a huge difference to pupils who feel isolated and isolated.
But it will certainly help if school speakers can find ways to help other students in their community, and if they’re able to create positive self talk and communication skills in the classroom.
What do you think?
Are you in the process of building a school network with your school?
Let us know in the comments below.
