Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Psychological Abuse.

Growing up, there was a lot of psychological abuse. I lived in fear most of my childhood and it spilled over into my adulthood. And it comes up from time to time. All though my father loved us, He would yell and scream all the time. One minute we would be relaxed and playing and the next minute he would be screaming at us. We never knew what to expect from Him. We were always on edge.  This experience affected me in school. I was always afraid to speak up in school when I was having difficulties. I would tell no one. I affected my confidence and turned me into an introvert and as a child I was very shy. A child psychological well being is important because it impacts every thing they do in adulthood and as educators it is our job to lead children to be productive citizens and the best individual they can be and that cant happen if they are not psychologically well. 

Poverty in the region of Africa

Today, growing up in a rural region in Southern Africa often means growing up without a decent education. Rural people are often caught in the vicious cycle of having no access to the services and opportunities that might lift them out of poverty; education, gainful employment, adequate nutrition, infrastructure and communications. Poor health such as eye problems, undernourishment and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome cause problems. Although the government’s feeding scheme is of great help, it’s the only meal of the day for some learners. Therefore it’s just not sufficient to feed all children properly. Poverty and illiteracy remain overwhelmingly rural phenomena. Education for rural people lies at the heart of rural development and this is fundamental for reducing poverty worldwide.

A crucial issue is that the curriculum must be relevant to rural people’s needs. One approach is to develop curricula that combine core content with local content. It is especially important that the content of education is closely related to local conditions to enable learners to apply the knowledge and skills learned. Linking school with the community will enable teachers to improve the quality and relevance of the education they are providing. It is an accepted fact that rural people with basic education are more likely to adopt new technology and become more productive, and can deal better with change. However, there are no quick fixes for providing education to the rural poor; this requires a long-term effort and commitment on the local, national and international level.