BASIC STAFF OPERATIONAL NOTES FOR REMEDIAL WORK IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

 

 

INTRODUCTION

The Oxford Dictionary says that Remedial Studies is finding medicine or treatment or means of counteracting or removing, redressing or rectifying things that are undesirable in education or studies.
I define remedial studies as a solution which is given to pupils who are slower at learning or have fallen behind the others in academic performance.

There are various reasons for remedial studies which are as follows:
1. Many students feel too lazy to study or engage in academic pursuits.
2. Many parents also complain that students hardly ever read at home.
3. Many students will rather engage in non-academic activities most of the time than keep to the private time table they drew up.
4. Many students are in Mason College with different needs seeking for answers to various problems.
5. It is also important to understand or realize that Remedial Studies can be used to broaden the scope of understanding of students involved.
Remedial work should be carried out knowing very well that there are varied needs amongst students. This means that tutors must recognize that each lesson has to be logically structured to cover the class and to give those individuals requiring more attention enough detail to make them more positive without feeling that unnecessary attention is being paid to them.

Remedial Tutors must ask themselves the following questions:
1. How can I make this subject / topic interesting?
2. Have I a good sense of humour for working with students?
3. Am I patient with slow learners?
All these and many more should be the questions a remedial tutor must keep asking himself.
Tutors should also read handouts on the following training topics that are available in the school.
1. Counseling the exceptional student.
2. Counseling juvenile delinquents (see additional notes below).
3. Counseling for improved study skills
4. Counseling for handicapped students.
5. General guidance and counseling techniques (see additional notes below).
6. Changing students’ inappropriate attitudes to foster academic excellence.
7. The philosophy of Mr. O. O. Odumosu about remedial work in a school.

COUNSELING JUVENILE DELINQUENTS
Juvenile delinquency is as old as the human memory can recall. There are many views concerning delinquency. Akinboye (1987) explained this to apply to all behavior patterns that break certain rules or laws enacted by constituted authority. Osarenren (1996) contended that any behavior that does not conform to the rules, regulations, norms and values of a given time is viewed and termed as delinquency.

Reasons for juvenile delinquency:
1. The change in the structure of the society i.e. rural to urban.
2. Disruption of sense of community solidarity and of the integrity of the extended family.
3. Increase in deteriorated neighbourhoods.

Delinquency of juvenile can be classified into three categories.
1. Unsocialized: They are malicious, violent, lacking in remorse.
2. Over-inhibited neurotics: These ones are seclusive, sensitive, worrying types.
3. Socialized: They keep bad company a lot, less co-operative and outgoing.

Conversant factors when handling delinquents as a counselor:
– Trust and acceptance.
– Commitment to change.
– Self disclosure.

COUNSELING THE HANDICAPPED STUDENT
Counseling the handicapped children is also an important technique a counselor should learn. Handicap may be defined as any deficiency, mental or physical, which makes it difficult for an individual to compete with others of his age.

Approaches & Focus of counseling
1. Self acceptance.
2. Modeling / mentoring.
3. Self disclosure.
4. Social exposure.
5. RET approach.
6. Self-esteem building.
7. Assertiveness training
8. Transactional analysis.

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING SKILLS
Guidance can be defined as a process by which an individual is assisted to understand, accept and utilize his abilities, attitudes, interest and attitudinal patterns in relation to his aspiration.
A guidance counselor is an educated individual who is skilled in selecting, administering, scoring and interpreting the various psychological tests available to improve the lots of his clients to make them effective and productive in their life journey.

OBJECTIVES
We have established that guidance and counseling help individuals to be well-integrated into the society and to become self disciplined, competent, happy, effective and productive in life.
– To assist students in understanding their own needs and problems to improve educational objectives, programme and planning generally.
– It is also to guard individual’s mental health and to build human effectiveness.
– To assist students in acquiring a positive image of self through understanding of the needs and problems of each person.

Remedial studies must aim at helping students  build a favorable attitude toward Maths Clinic, English Clinic, Study and Exam Techniques, Motivational Techniques.
Remedial Studies can also be simply said as a set up to help students make the best use of what they have been taught and about what they have left the classroom with.

TO BE CONTINUED

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