At risk of exclusion within an inclusive system

An event held yesterday at Couvre Porte in Vittoriosa by the Faculty of Education of the University of Malta launched a number of initiatives on social, emotional and behavioral difficulties among children and young persons. One of these initiatives is a national project on behavioral difficulties currently being undertaken in Maltese schools. Stephanie Psaila talked to the two researchers conducting this project, Carmel Cefai, lecturer at the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Malta, and Paul Cooper, director of the School of Education at the University of Leicester, UK.

What is this research project about?

This is a large-scale, national study sponsored by the Education Division and the University of Malta, which started in October. The collection of data is about to start. It seeks to explore the nature and distribution of social, emotional and behavioral difficulties (SEBD) in both primary and secondary schools in Malta and identify the associated protective and risk factors. The main objectives of the study include the identification of the prevalence rate of these difficulties, the exploration of the relationship between the nature and distribution of SEBD and socio-cultural factors, and a prospective attempt to identify the risk and protective factors for SEBD and consequent social exclusion, delinquency, substance abuse and mental health problems.

Why was this project considered necessary? Is student behaviour becoming more problematic in Maltese schools?

The incidents of violence that took place in some schools in Malta last year, may have been sporadic and atypical of most schools here. They did, however, underline a problem which has been with us for a long time and which appears to have become more serious in recent decades. It is indeed indicative that the incidence of behaviour difficulties in schools has been increasing over the past decades in Europe and the US. There is no local epidemiological data yet (one of the objectives of this project), and one may argue that to date Maltese schools may have been spared the high levels of disaffection and violence seen in other referent countries. There are indications, however, that the situation in particular local schools has been a cause for concern for quite some years now, and the repeated calls for help from teachers and heads of schools are becoming increasingly louder. The MUT conference held last November on this subject is a case in point.

Some small scale local research also indicates the considerable behavioral difficulties some schools, particularly area secondary schools, are facing. The experience of other countries has shown us that when these difficulties are not adequately addressed, they tend to get worse, with more serious consequences for schools and society as a whole. We can thus learn from the mistakes of other countries and seek to develop proactive, effective ways to prevent and remediate these difficulties as early as possible.

But is this really schools' problem? What can schools do when the problems may be originating in families and communities?

It is true that children growing up in disharmony, violence and abuse, in poverty, deprivation and high levels of stress, may experience difficulties in their social and emotional development and consequently in their educational engagement and achievement. SEBD, however, is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon, the result of various factors, including biological, psychological, social and cultural influences.

Focusing on one set of influences, to the exclusion of others, provides a very simplistic and limited view of the nature of these difficulties. Simply blaming parents and children (or schools and teachers) for these difficulties does not pay justice to the complexity of this social phenomenon. Schools and staff are not simply the victims of social forces beyond their control. Just as they could be part of the solution, they may be part of the problem as well.

The system itself may contribute to student failure and disaffection through segregation and selection, its focus on competition and examination, and the lack of opportunity for all members to be successful. For instance, it has been recently reported that Maltese secondary school students are among the most academically burdened and stressed in Europe. And a recent report on school absenteeism in Malta cited irrelevant curriculum and poor interpersonal relationships with staff as two of the main causes of absenteeism.

On the other hand, international research has consistently shown us that schools can and do make a significant difference in the academic and social development of children and young persons, including those coming from backgrounds which may put them at risk for the healthy development of these competencies.

Following the violent incidents in a number of Maltese schools, there have been calls from various quarters for stricter control and harsher discipline in our schools, including exclusion. Do you think this is the way forward? If not, what can we do about this problem then?

It is natural that in the face of repeated opposition, defiance and violence, teachers, educators, and parents may argue for more drastic measures to maintain control of the situation, such as zero tolerance, exclusion and segregation. Paradoxically, however, the harsher we may become with such children and young persons, the more problematic their behaviour may become.

For instance, we know that the behaviour of excluded children deteriorates when they return to school. Zero tolerance approaches do not seem to work in the long-term either, apart from being in direct conflict with the principles of inclusive education. The indications are that what these children and young persons need is more support in their learning, more choice and say in their behaviour, and more understanding, affection and care by adults. It is ironic that while the local educational authorities and schools are investing so much of their resources in seeking to ensure inclusive education for all, there have been repeated calls to exclude one group of students with individual educational needs. Indeed, of all students with such needs, students with SEBD appear to be at the greatest risk of exclusion in our educational system.

SEBD in education have been with us for a long time and it is unlikely that they will disappear in the near future. Any attempts at quick fixes are unlikely to be effective in the long term. We can learn from such short-sighted approaches in other European countries and avoid repeating the same mistakes. Any approach has to appreciate the complexity of the difficulties, with interventions by various agencies and professionals, at various levels, and with all partners involved.

At primary intervention level, we need to prevent the difficulties from occurring in the first place, by providing support and training to parents, families and communities, to schools, teachers, and students. The educational system needs to give a chance for all students to succeed, with less emphasis on achievement and examinations, and a meaningful, authentic curriculum addressing the diversity of students' needs. We need to support schools to organise themselves as caring and inclusive communities for all their members. Besides, we also need to provide support to those students and families who are at risk in their social, emotional and cognitive development, as well as those students whose difficulties have already became a cause for concern for themselves, their schools and their families.

For instance, the recent initiative by the Commissioner for Children on Very Challenging Children in which both authors have been involved in different roles, has underlined the inadequacy of support and provision for such children, their schools and their families, and the need for inter- agency and multi-professional intervention in such cases.

Clearly, there is a need for a structured, multilevel approach to SEBD in Malta across the whole educational spectrum, providing for the prevention and effective management of SEBD at systems, whole school, classroom and individual levels. The first task however, is to establish the nature and causes of the problem, identifying the influences on the development of SEBD and the factors likely to protect vulnerable individuals. This project will thus help to lay the ground for a solid framework within which to devise prevention and intervention strategies and determine the kind of services and programmes which need to be made available to children and young persons, schools, families and local communities.