Everything is not beautiful

TTUTA

ALL THINGS are not bright and beautiful in our nation, for the monsters of indifference and selfishness have reared their ugly heads and are devouring our children’s mental health. Mental health is often cast aside like far-flung nets at sea and left to become discarded as unmentionable, non-existent or overwhelming.

In the time of pandemic, the dire need for honest conversations on mental health awareness and solutions can only be realised if we acknowledge that there are infinite differences in circumstances for each child and that pain, anger and inadequacies exist despite the pretences that often masks the struggles.

Teachers are desirous of understanding and flexibility from their employer and various administrators as they are coping with online methods of teaching for the first time. However, we must be acutely cognisant of the fact that teachers, parents and other stakeholders have an obligation to offer that same flexibility to students who have experienced a difficult transition and are also facing real-life issues.

The “new normal” demands a new paradigm for students’ real health issues. They are experiencing the trauma of global death and death within their own families. Additionally, they are recipients of mistreatment, abandonment, isolation, violence, abuse and family trauma which produce anxiety, fear, depression, attention problems, unhappiness and injurious behaviour.

Students have lost social interactions with friends, family and community. Video calls are stressors due to unstable Wi-Fi and they are exhausted both physically and mentally as they struggle to integrate less collaboration with verbal instructions. The plethora of homework has become an intense punishment that eradicates relaxation and robs them of personal freedom. Furthermore, domestic challenges and increased family strife and divisions have made life draining and unbearable for many.

Students have become afraid and deeply nervous to miss classes, to be late or to send in late assignments that are due to circumstances beyond their control. They are often terrified that teachers may not understand. Many of them have difficulty with sleeping habits and are not punctual virtually. It is clear that they often cannot self-regulate, which results in various disruptions in their education.

As stakeholders, we must view the pandemic as the instrument that has revealed many truths. Many children’s mental health have worsened, with some already reaching their limits, while failing to navigate issues and pressures with the struggles they face concerning self-esteem, personal family trauma, and the lack of a sense of belonging.

The necessity for social reform, sexuality education, equity and equality in education is a cry from the souls of the marginalised, yearning for transition, rebirth and transformation in our definitions of human decency and execution of meaningful changes that will give our children and citizens access to the right to thrive and have a sustainable future. Can we educate our students so that they can manage stress and deep sadness? How do we help them recover from the hardships of life?

The education system has failed to produce adults who are ingrained with a deep sense of empathy and compassion and who are able to resolve their own conflicts; instead they inflict abuse on others. Lesson plans and standardised tests are not enough. The social, mental and emotional needs of children are often placed on the back burner. The cries of the children are falling on deaf ears and their pain intensifies with each passing day. Have we forgotten that they will become wounded adults who are not well adjusted? The vicious cycle of isolation and disconnectedness will manifest horrors within families, communities, schools and the nation.

It is not too late for restoration. The curriculum must be infused with hopefulness, understanding and lessons that encourage resilience. School is a place that prepares our children for the future, but they often feel hopeless and deeply disillusioned about the future. Teachers must build strong relationships with their students and seek new strategies for the mental and emotional well-being of their students.

Social services and educational reforms must include programmes for developing emotional intelligence, intuition, mindfulness and self-awareness in adults and children. There must also be swift interventions when needed as delays often lead to detriment. These are some requirements for good mental health and the introspection needed for personal growth and transformation. We will then be equipped to take time to heal our own insecurities and childhood wounds. Things can become brighter and beautiful if we activate our power of compassionate conversation without being ashamed to face our own darkness.