Social & emotional skills a struggle

AUSTRALIA – More than 40 per cent of Australian primary and secondary school students have poor social and emotional skills, according to a study of 11,000 participants.

Study author from the University of Melbourne, Prof. Michael Bernard, said poor social and emotional skills can have a significant impact on student motivation and engagement in the classroom.

“Our research found two-thirds of students say they are not doing their best in their schoolwork. Most of these students are lacking the confidence, persistence, organisational and teamwork skills to help them perform at the best of their ability,” said Prof. Bernard.

Reflecting on the data, the largest of its kind collected in recent years in Australia, Prof. Bernard highlighted the low level of resilience skills of school students.

“Of equal concern are the large number of students who say they cannot describe how they feel, are unable to resolve interpersonal problems and who have difficulty calming down quickly when upset,” said Prof. Bernard.

“In addition, more than 50 per cent of young people say that at school, they are not learning about how to communicate their feelings, how to cope with stress and how to resolve conflicts. This is a real wake-up call.

“Because of these findings, we need a commitment in the new national curriculum being designed to spell out the social and emotional skills that should be taught at each level of schooling.

“It is essential for young people to learn the ‘ABC’s’ of social and emotional skills, including ways to manage their emotions, resolve conflicts and build positive relationships with peers and adults.”