Failing at school is something that does not have a single cause and may even be motivated by several of them simultaneously. Each student is a separate case and their level of academic performance can be determined by numerous factors. At oneHOWTO we'll answer a question that many worried parents ask themselves when their kid is not doing well: why is my child failing at school? Let's take a look at all the possible causes or reasons.
The student's own difficulties
In this section we should distinguish between cognitive and motivational problems. On the one hand, a high percentage of cases where students are failing at school is directly due to learning difficulties such as dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or problems with the child's vision or hearing. It is essential to detect these causes early so that students do not start to fall behind the pace of their peers. If this is not done, there may be a misdiagnosis that can stigmatize the child like "you're lazy" or "studying is not for you." Make sure you contact school and a the school psychologist so you can determine if your child has a learning disability.
Furthermore, depression and low self-esteem, which often occur during adolescence, can also significantly affect a student's performance.
Why is my gifted child failing at school?
Furthermore, children just like adults need motivation that drives them to make an effort. If they get bored, they won't want to make an effort and won't see the meaning of their classes. This could be, for example, the case for a gifted child with a high IQ, as they often lose interest quickly since their capacity is far ahead of the level of the rest of the class. Take a look at how to know if your child has above average intelligence to learn about the signs to look out for.
Faults in the education system
There are some people who believe that the education system does not exactly help many students to achieve better marks. Reducing the high rates of failure in Spanish schools (Spain is the EU country with the highest dropout rate at 24.9%) has been a goal for governments. Various laws have been approved to reform the education system up to the present day but none have managed to solve the problem.
Formal education is, moreover, a huge chain in which each link matters. The last one, the teacher, is one of the most important, if not the most important. A person who has a broad knowledge of their subject and is also able to motivate and involve their classes can help stragglers to catch up to the pace of the rest of the class and increase their self-esteem.
Socio-economic causes
There are no official studies that show a direct relationship between the socioeconomic status of families and the performance of children in school. In many cases a lack of support at home or money to continue into secondary and higher education does not give students the best chance to reach their potential and may lead to them dropping out prematurely. These groups of pupils are most directly dependent on public investment in education to achieve the best marks possible.
Lack of motivation to follow higher education due to a child's socio-economic situation may be a reason why your child is failing at school. If there is no motivation in the horizon to complete his or her studies, the student may not see the point in studying.
Current problems
People have ups and downs in different stages of their lives. Emotional periods, external events that affect us negatively or even situations of harassment (known as bullying).
Sometimes they are just passing periods that are nothing more than little bumps in the road that are quickly sorted out but sometimes they have a greater effect on someone's studies. Especially in cases of bullying, it is very important that parents and teachers detect it early and take appropriate measures.
A fear of failure, a lack of self-confidence and procrastination may have a deeper reasoning, but the fact is that some students need more attention than others, especially if they are going through some tough times.
What to do if your child is failing school
Now that you know the possible reasons why your child is failing school, it's time to get a hold of the situation and get your kid's school life back on track. This is why at oneHOWTO, we give you some useful tips to stop your child from failing school:
- Talk to your child's tutor or teacher
- Assess what has changed in your child's attitude at school: has he/she been sitting at a different place?Does he/she have new friends? Has the situation at home varied?
- Once you have pinpointed the possible reason, talk to your child calmly, and try to explain why you think he/she is failing school.
- You will need your child to cooperate, which is why you both need to be on the same page, try to help him/her every step of the way, no matter what the underlying problem is.
If you want to read similar articles to Why Is my Child Failing at School - All Possible Reasons, we recommend you visit our Learning category.