UJ education researchers examine child-headed households

22 July 2015 - 22:39 By RDM News Wire
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There was an alarmingly‚ large number of children in schools‚ who were from child-headed families or who supported their families and younger siblings - many of these children had lost their parents to HIV and AIDS related illnesses‚ Jace Pillay‚ a University of Johannesburg (UJ) professor in education psychology‚ said.

Educational‚ psychological and social care needs of orphans and vulnerable children were highlighted at the university on Wednesday‚ when Pillay‚ holder of the South African National Research Foundation research chair in Education and Care in Childhood‚ together with his research team‚ presented their research findings on orphans and vulnerable children.

The research team looked at children's daily lives as orphans and how much depression‚ anxiety and stress they experience in their families‚ communities and schools. The aim was to identify and develop psychological and educational support interventions for the children.

The researchers also studied the children's families and their experience of being raised in single-parent or divorced families‚ and where there are no adults supervising the children - where children raise children.

Pillay pointed out that there was a tendency amongst child-headed households not to disclose that they were living on their own.

“Often these children are victimised and exploited. In some cases families collect the social grants and the child-headed household never receives the money.”

The roles of stakeholders at schools and the provincial and national Departments of Education were also researched to establish ways other government departments can assist to improve the situations of vulnerable children at schools. This includes the roles of civic‚ NGO and religious organisations‚ and how these support orphans and vulnerable children.

“The involvement of children in educational research is paramount. We need to address these issues relating to young people right now‚ because they are the future leaders of the country and they need to be prepared for that.

“What happens to them and how they think about that will impact the future economy of the country‚” said Pillay.

RDM News Wire

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