It’s a source of stress for many parents when children don’t do well at A-level. We want the best for them, not to forget the joy that comes along with knowing that they are the heads and not the tails – which is the promise of God.
We know that excelling in school is the ticket into a good University and reputable course. When poor grades surface, it’s natural that we get anxious. I mean, his/her whole future is at stake, right?
Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) released the 2016 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations this week.
The institution said that 39,797 candidates out of the 102,858 candidates who sat for the UACE in 2016, obtained three principle passes.
Further more, at least 27,831 candidates obtained two principle passes, 21,031 obtained 1 principle pass and 12,836 candidates secured subsidiary passes. Meaning that 67,628 students, representing 65.8 percent of the total number of candidates, qualify to join university for degree courses based on the minimum requirement on two principle pass level for admission.
Is your child among the 34.2 percent that received a shock of life?
Although you might be disappointed right now, I would like you to put your self together and attend to your Child.
It might look obvious – as most kids hid their emotions that come along with failure, however sometimes they fail to cope up with it.
This becomes a very private issue with feelings of embarrassment and loss of confidence that he/she might not know how to resolve and contain.
Many young people define themselves by their academic achievement, using grades as a marker of self-esteem, says Susanna Baker, a psychologist specialising in young people.
Many students are hit hard when they do worse than they’d hoped. “The weight of expectation can be extremely heavy,” Baker says.
Dealing with disappointment: Counsellors’ tips
For Parents:
• Don’t be afraid to talk about the results, either before or after.
• Don’t shy away from the disappointment your child is feeling. Encourage him or her to talk about it.
• Keep talking about the many possible future paths available.
• Emphasise how hard they’ve tried and the work they’ve put in – and why this shows they have qualities that can take them far.
• Explain – preferably with real examples – that many successful people have taken “a zig-zag route” to reach their goals.
Understanding our desperate need to depend on God is good news. The irony is that disappointments are often beneficial for anyone. Learning to deal with setbacks helps them develop key characteristics they’ll need to succeed, such as coping skills, emotional resilience, creative thinking, and the ability to collaborate.
So, tell your child to move on. God still has a plan for him/her.
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By Mrs Margaret Kiwanuka – Career Mistress at St John’s Comprehensive Secondary School.
