Child School Research Articles

Role of the Community in Influencing Enrolment of Children in Schools in Juba County, South Sudan

The government of South Sudan introduced free primary education for all to ensure children go to school and attain basic education. This study assessed community involvement in children`s enrolment and learning. Through their responses using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, it was established that there were wide range of community members that influenced children’s schooling and learning. This was captured in past studies which typically focused on structured forms of community engagement that take place within the schools. The pupils’ reports on their perceptions of the community members’ influence on learning and schooling were mainly positive. They included: dispute resolution, health care, financial and material support, political advocacy, and infrastructure development. The negative influence by the community members were reported as holding back learning from attending school, insecurity, distractions such as noise; land disputes with schools. Although this study generated a lot of positive responses on the role of the community members in influencing children schooling and learning, resource mobilization as the key aspect of engagement is worth considering

Parents face several barriers in providing a healthy school lunch for their primary school children: A survey of Victorian (Australian) parents.

This paper aims to explore Victoria parents' perceptions of their current practices and barriers in providing school lunches for their primary school children. Respondents were asked via an online survey about their lunch provision practices, perceptions of the healthiness of school lunches, and barriers to providing healthy school lunches. Data were analysed using different statistical techniques: Chi-square test, Spearman correlation analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. In total, 359 respondents completed the survey. Most respondents (84%) reported their child takes a home-packed lunch to school every day. Most respondents provided fruits (94%), vegetables (57%), and sandwiches (54%) every day for school lunches, whilst other core food items such as milk, meats, and legumes were provided less frequently. A substantial proportion of respondents provided some discretionary food items frequently (e.g., the proportion of respondents providing selected discretionary food items daily or 3-4 times/week: salty crackers-50%, sweet cookies/biscuits-40%, chips-20%). Respondents strongly agreed or agreed with several barriers; examples include not packing certain foods due to food spoilage concerns (50%) (school-related), the allocated time at their child's school is not enough to eat and enjoy school lunch (48%) (school-related), need more meal ideas (61%) (parent-related), healthy foods take more time to prepare (51%) (parent-related), and children request easy-to-eat food for school lunches (50%) (child-related). Core food score (an indicator of frequency of preparing/packing core food) was negatively correlated with parent-related and child-related barrier scores, whilst discretionary food score (an indicator of frequency of preparing/packing discretionary food) was positively correlated with these barrier scores. Overall, home-packed lunches remain the main option in primary schools in Victoria, and parents face several challenges in providing healthy lunches for their primary school children. SO WHAT?: The findings suggest the need for strategies from school leaders, education authorities, and policymakers to improve the quality of lunch content and address the barriers faced by parents.

Family's Perception of Death of Foreign Labour Migrants and Its Impact on Their Economy

This study explores the perceptions of families of foreign labour migrants who have experienced an increasing number of deaths in their workplaces. Nearly one thousand foreign labour migrants died in their workplace in the year 2019, this number is increasing day by day. This study analyzed the family’s perceptions of the death of foreign labour migrants and its impact on their families. It uses a sequential mixed method to show the experiences of schooling children (age 8–18 years). Purposive sampling was used to choose the Bagmati province and districts, while simple random sampling was used to choose schools and students. The reason for selecting the province and districts was the higher foreign labour migration in 2019. About 77 respondents were selected by using simple random sampling, and a semi-structured questionnaire was used for quantitative data collection. The death of parents in foreign labour migration raises many difficulties for the persons left behind at home. Nearly thirty per cent of families, including children, were suffering sensitively from the loss of parents. Missing remittance from the death of the breadwinner hurt the family's food consumption, accommodation, and health facilities. Some families could not get government support and insurance due to the loss of legal documents. Parental death also impacts children's schooling like attendance and academic achievement. It also raises family complications like remarriage, separation, and divorce. The demise of a family member increases the social and economic burden on the migrant community. It negatively impacts family harmony and child education. To support family migrants, an awareness programme is recommended to slow down the psychological stress on families, and a special support mechanism is recommended for orphan children’s education.

Risk and Protective Factors for Parental Involvement and Early Indicators of School Achievement in Alaska.

Parental involvement can affect child school readiness, which in turn influences subsequent child learning outcomes. While social support, stress, caregiver psychological distress, and drinking could affect parental involvement, it is unknown whether and how these factors influence downstream child learning outcomes through parental involvement and child school readiness. This study tests those associations. Using de-identified data provided by the Alaska Longitudinal Child Abuse and Neglect Linkage project (N = 683), we use Structural Equation Modeling to assess direct and indirect effects of paths embedded in the proposed model. This study found statistically significant indirect effects: (1) path linking stress faced by caregivers to child reading proficiency through caregiver psychological distress, parental involvement, and child school readiness, (2) path linking stress faced by caregivers to child reading proficiency through caregiver drinking, parental involvement, and child school readiness, and (3) path linking social support for caregivers to child reading proficiency through caregiver psychological distress, parental involvement, and child school readiness. Post-estimation showed that the sum of the magnitude of total effects of stress and the magnitude of total effects of support is significantly larger than either alone. Findings suggest that reducing caregiver stress and offering social support could not only benefit caregivers but learning outcomes of their children as well. For child learning outcomes, simultaneously reducing stress and offering social support for caregivers, rather than just one of them alone, is suggested. These results are important for children, particularly for those raised by caregivers experiencing psychological distress or drinking issues.

Influence of personality on self-efficacy of work and supervision of children's schooling during COVID-19

This study evaluated the influence of personality factors and traits on the sense of self-efficacy in the combination of roles (work and supervision of children's school activities) in the context of COVID-19 in a representative sample of Ecuadorian adults of both sexes (n=400). Personality traits were assessed using Cattell's 16-PF personality test, and self-efficacy was measured using an adaptation of the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. The results show that the five main personality factors of the 16-PF significantly predict self-efficacy and influence its variability by 12.7%. The factors Anxiety, Independence, and Toughness are the strongest predictors of self-efficacy. It was also found that the 16 personality traits assessed by the 16-PF questionnaire can predict 16.9% of self-efficacy. The most predictive traits were Stability, Openness to Change, Dominance, Privacy, and liveliness. These results suggest that individual personality differences allow individuals to better adapt to the various demands in a complicated environment such as COVID-19. These findings can be used to understand and support individuals when faced with complex environmental demands.

João Vicente Martins e o ensino da leitura e da escrita para crianças no Brasil do século XIX

Abstract Based on an analysis of a school textbook produced by Joo Vicente Martins in 1854, this article aims to understand the history of schooling in Brazil in the second half of the nineteenth century, notably in the elements of teaching reading and writing to children. Martins launched himself into the publishing market with Cartilha de Leitura repentina, ou plágio do Método Castilho, in an attempt to bring together the ideals of two important forerunners of the debate about methods for teaching the mother tongue engaged with the universalization of elementary education: the Frenchman Joseph Jacotot and the Portuguese António Feliciano Castilho. Takins as a source, above all the periodical press and the productions of Castilho and Martins, the analysis carried out was organized around two main aspects: the biography of the latter author and the materiality of his textbook. It is concluded, that, although it announces the elaboration of a plagiarism of the Castilho method, the work undertaken by João Vicente Martins presented his ideals about the child schooling in the Brazilian context of clashes between techniques of teaching reading and writing in the nineteenth century.

Does Vocabulary Grow in Nature? Exploring the Impacts of Nature-Based Early Learning on Young Children's Receptive Vocabulary Development

Abstract: This study examined the effect of nature-based practices on preschoolers' receptive vocabulary. We administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test to 134 children from 11 preschool classes at the beginning and end of the preschool year. Results suggest incorporating nature-based practices into preschool supported significant vocabulary growth, but that effectiveness varied by public vs. private school setting and children's socioeconomic status. This study contributes to the literature regarding effective practices for supporting vocabulary development and adds to the growing body of research surrounding the impact of play in natural environments on child development and school readiness.

Entre « inadaptation » et stigmatisation sociale : la scolarité précaire des enfants placés (Fribourg et Neuchâtel, 1950-1980)

This paper looks at the discourse on « maladjusted » childhood and its impact on the life course of children placed in the cantons of Fribourg and Neuchâtel between 1950 and 1980. Based on a journal for social workers and a corpus of individual files from child protection services, it shows how the social stigma of « maladjustment » affects the primary schooling of children in care.

Factors for choosing a pediatric dentist in Saudi Arabia.

The choice of a pediatric dentist is a crucial decision for parents, influenced by a variety of factors. This study aimed to investigate the key determinants that guide parents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in their selection of a pediatric dentist. A cross-sectional survey was administered to a diverse participant pool. The survey captured demographic information, history of dental visits, parents' level of concern about dental treatment for their children, and the importance of specific factors in the choice of a pediatric dentist. The survey was completed by a balanced representation of different age groups and genders. Most participants from Riyadh and other regions had a history of dental visits. Parents' concern about dental treatment varied based on the number of children they had. The most significant factors influencing the choice of a pediatric dentist were the quality of the dental unit's disinfection process, the dentist's ability to communicate with the child and manage uncooperative behaviour, and the dentist's experience. The least influential factors were the proximity of the dental office to the child's school, the dentist's gender, and the number of pediatric dentists in the practice. This study provided valuable insights into the factors that influence parents' decision in choosing a pediatric dentist in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data helps dental professionals understand parents' priorities and improve their services accordingly to meet patient needs and expectations.

Does paid parental leave affect children's schooling outcomes? Replicating Danzer and Lavy (2018)

SummaryDanzer and Lavy (2018) study how the duration of paid parental leave affects children's educational performance using data from PISA. An extension of the maximum duration from 12 to 24 months in Austria had no statistically significant effect on average, but the authors highlight the existence of large and statistically significant heterogenous effects that vary in sign depending on the education of mothers and children's gender. The policy increased the scores obtained by sons of highly educated mothers by 33% of a standard deviation (SD) in Reading and 40% SD in Science. On the contrary, sons of low educated mothers experienced a decrease of 27% SD in Reading and 23% SD in Science. In this article, I replicate their study following the recommended estimation procedure taking into account both the survey's stratified two‐stage sample design and the fact that PISA relies on imputation to derive student scores. I show that the estimates of the effects of the parental leave extension become substantially smaller in magnitude and non‐significant.

When child trafficking and informal fostering intersect

Informal fostering is an important tradition for many communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the intersections of poverty and social circumstances may increase the risk of exploitation for informally fostered children. We used mixed methods to estimate the prevalence of child trafficking within informal child fostering placements in Sierra Leone, to document vulnerability factors and explore perceptions of key stakeholders. Data were collected through 1) a household survey (N= 3,070), 2) interviews (N= 41) with young adults who experienced child trafficking in informal fostering, parents of children who experienced trafficking in foster placements, and key informants, and 3) focus groups with community members (N= 23). We found that informal fostering increases the likelihood for children to experience trafficking. Although there are significant associations between child trafficking and informal fostering, social (gender and cultural traditions) and economic factors (poverty and school access) appear to be drivers for both. Our results suggest that strengthening poverty reduction measures, expanding opportunities for schooling and vocational training for children and young adults, and improving safety for children in informal fostering arrangements through reporting and monitoring are essential to mitigate the high rates of child trafficking in Sierra Leone, and to ensure children’s well-being in informal fostering placements.

Predicting child development and school readiness, at age 5, for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in Australia's Northern Territory.

Positive early development is critical in shaping children's lifelong health and wellbeing. Identifying children at risk of poor development is important in targeting early interventions to children and families most in need of support. We aimed to develop a predictive model that could inform early support for vulnerable children. We analysed linked administrative records for a birth cohort of 2,380 Northern Territory children (including 1,222 Aboriginal children) who were in their first year of school in 2015 and had a completed record from the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC). The AEDC measures early child development (school readiness) across five domains of development. We fitted prediction models, for AEDC weighted summary scores, using a Partial Least Square Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) considering four groups of factors-pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, known at birth, and child-related factors. We first assessed the models' internal validity and then the out-of-sample predictive power (external validity) using the PLSpredict procedure. We identified separate predictive models, with a good fit, for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. For Aboriginal children, a significant pre-pregnancy predictor of better outcomes was higher socioeconomic status (direct, β = 0.22 and indirect, β = 0.16). Pregnancy factors (gestational diabetes and maternal smoking (indirect, β = -0.09) and child-related factors (English as a second language and not attending preschool (direct, β = -0.28) predicted poorer outcomes. Further, pregnancy and child-related factors partially mediated the effects of pre-pregnancy factors; and child-related factors fully mediated the effects of pregnancy factors on AEDC weighted scores. For non-Aboriginal children, pre-pregnancy factors (increasing maternal age, socioeconomic status, parity, and occupation of the primary carer) directly predicted better outcomes (β = 0.29). A technical observation was that variance in AEDC weighted scores was not equally captured across all five AEDC domains; for Aboriginal children results were based on only three domains (emotional maturity; social competence, and language and cognitive skills (school-based)) and for non-Aboriginal children, on a single domain (language and cognitive skills (school-based)). The models give insight into the interplay of multiple factors at different stages of a child's development and inform service and policy responses. Recruiting children and their families for early support programs should consider both the direct effects of the predictors and their interactions. The content and application of the AEDC measurement need to be strengthened to ensure all domains of a child's development are captured equally.

Грифельная доска с надписью ребёнка из Владимира (конец XVIII— начало XIX вв.)

Archaeologists often find children’s things in the cultural layer of the cities in Vladimir-Suzdal land. They are usually represented by toys or everyday items. School supplies are more rare archaeological artifacts. The fragment of a writing slate discovered in Vladimir belongs to this group of artifacts. It preserves a segment of a written exercise on its surface. The child who wrote it was learning the Church Slavonic grammar. It belongs to the category of texts that are not intended to be saved. A combination of circumstances fixed it in time. The inscription consists of only two lines. However, it provides an interesting information about both the spelling of the texts and the educational technologies used in home primary schooling for children of the middle urban estates of Vladimir in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Children with cancer and their cardiorespiratory fitness and physical function-the long-term effects of a physical activity program during treatment: a multicenter non-randomized controlled trial.

We aimed to determine the effects of a classmate-supported, supervised, in-hospital physical activity program during treatment primarily on cardiorespiratory fitness and secondarily on physical function. A multicenter non-randomized controlled intervention study including children diagnosed with cancer, 6-18 years at diagnosis treated with chemo-/radiotherapy. The intervention comprised (i) an educational session on cancer in the child's school class; (ii) selection of two "ambassadors"-classmates who were co-admitted, supporting the child's everyday hospital life; and (iii) supervised in-hospital physical activity from diagnosis and throughout intensive treatment. One-year post-treatment, physical testing included cardiorespiratory fitness (primary outcome), Sit-to-Stand test, Timed-Up-and-Go, and Handgrip Strength. The intervention group included 75 of 120 children (61% boys, 13.4 ± 3.1 years); the control groups included 33 of 58 children with cancer (58% boys, 13.5 ± 2.5 years), and 94 age- and sex-matched children without a cancer history. One-year post-treatment, cardiorespiratory fitness tended to be higher in the intervention group (37.0 ± 6.0 mL/kg/min) than in the patient control group with cancer (32.3 ± 9.7 mL/kg/min) (mean difference 4.7 [0.4 to 9.1], p = 0.034). The intervention group performed better in the secondary outcomes. Compared with community controls, bothpatient groups had lower cardiorespiratory fitness. The patient control group had lower Sit-to-Stand, Timed Up and Go, and Handgrip Strength, while the intervention group had strength comparable to that of the community controls. Peer-supported, supervised, in-hospital physical activity during treatment may improve cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength 1-year post-treatment in children with cancer; however, survivors continue to have lower cardiorespiratory fitness than community controls. Children with cancer may benefit from in-hospital physical activity in improving long-term cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength.

아동의 의사결정 참여와 참여 활동 관련 요인

Objectives: This study aims to examine the actual status of children's participation, to subdivide factors related to child participation into children, families, schools, and communities, and to propose measures to activate child participation based on the results. Methods: Good Neighbors' “Child Rights Status Survey” data collected from a total of 8,864 elementary and middle school students and their parents (guardians) were used. SPSS 24.0 program was used to analyze child participation and related factors, and frequency analysis, t-test, and multiple regression analysis were conducted.
 Results: Children's participation was examined focusing on decision-making participation and participation activities. The main relevant factors are as follows. Child factors were identified as significant factors in both the decision-making process participation and participation activity models, such as child recognition and discrimination experiences, family factors recognition of the child's rights agreement, school factors, and community factors such as the number of educational types and satisfaction with school life. Lack of access to information, respect for children's rights at home and in schools, and experience of corporal punishment at home were significant in the decision-making participation model, and the duration of child-friendly cities in the area where children live and the number of students per teacher were significant in the participation activity model.
 Conclusions: To boost children's participation, the study proposes to strengthen children's awareness of rights, to prepare various educational programs, to strengthen child-led activities, to create a democratic family/school atmosphere, and to establish a community-level child participation system.

Dilemmas in defining and diagnosing school readiness

Starting school education is a very important and expected event in child’s life. The issue of a child’s readiness to start education is still discussed both in scientific and public debates. The belief in the need for good preparation of a child to start school is firmly rooted in social awareness. This belief is strengthened by the fact that teachers prepare and submit to the parents of children finishing preschool education a document entitled: “Information on the child’s readiness to start primary school”. It is difficult to clearly decide whether a child’s readiness should be diagnosed or not. On the one hand, we can indicate science and empirical facts, and on the other hand, there is educational practice with its needs. The article presents the dilemmas of defining and diagnosing a child's school readiness, recognised models of readiness, as well as differences in the approach to the problem from the point of view of science and educational practice.

Psychological, socioeconomic burdens and coping mechanisms of caregivers of children with bronchoasthma in Kakamega County, Kenya

Background: Childhood bronchoasthma consistently pose diverse caregiving burdens yet, magnitude of these and coping mechanisms adopted by caregivers are infrequently assessed during routine care only focused on index patients. Methods: A partially mixed descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted for a minimum of 408 respondents. The results were presented in form of tables and text. Results: A total of 408 caregivers were surveyed, with a mean age of 33 years (SD=9.86). Majority (78.7%) were actual parents of whom 73.5% were married. Primary-level education was the highest attained by 64% of caregivers while those earning <10,000 KES per month were 76% with about 3 out 4 being self-employed. Significant psychological concerns include sleep disturbance on the night previous to the interview, caregivers’ concern about the child's asthma medication and side effects. Work absenteeism; reduced total annual income; lost job; discontinued child schooling and delayed family investment/cut budgets were significant social/economic burdens. Most caregivers used escape-avoidance coping mechanisms with a significant majority being involved in substance abuse (72.3%); feeling helpless or downplayed the severity of symptoms because of myths and stigma. Young age (p=0.002); being widowed (p=0.040), and being of low level of education (p<0.001) were associated with poor coping mechanisms. Conclusions: There was considerable prevalence of psychological burden and socio-economic status among caregivers with significant majority using adversarial coping mechanisms, particularly among socio-economically disadvantaged.

Determinants of oral health status: an ecological study in Iran

ObjectivesThe aim of this ecological study was to assess the association between behavioral, social position, circumstance factors, and caries experience in 35- to 44-year-old adults in Iran at a provincial level.Materials and methodsThe data from the 2011 Iranian Oral Health Survey were obtained from all 31 provinces across Iran on the population level. Oral health status was measured as the number of decayed, missing (MT), and filled (FT) teeth and the percentage of the population who were edentulous. Data were also gathered from each province on the percentage of smokers (Non-Communicable Diseases Risk Factors Surveillance Provincial Report 2009), per capita consumption of free sugars, concentration of fluoride in the drinking water (National and Sub-national Burden of Disease (NASBOD) Survey), number of dentists per 10,000 people, mean years of schooling of adults, expected years of schooling of children, life expectancy at birth and Gross National Income (Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Global Data Lab). The data were analyzed using simple and multiple linear regression (α = 0.05).ResultsMean DMFT was positively associated with the percentage of smokers (B = 0.01 95%CI 0.01–0.14), and negatively with fluoride concentration (B =-2.6 95%CI -4.3- -0.96). The edentulousness percentage was positively associated with smoking (B = 0.2 (with 95%CI: 0.07–0.37) and negatively with mean years of education (B =-1.08 (with 95%CI: -2.04- -0.12). DT was associated with expected years of schooling (B =-0.6 (with 95%CI: -1.07- -0.17), negatively. Mt was negatively associated with life expectancy (B =-0.5 (with 95%CI: -1.1- -0.007), fluoride concentration (B =-3.4 (with 95%CI: -4.5- -1.5) and number of dentists per 10,000 people (B =-0.4 (with 95%CI: -0.8- -0.01). Mean Years of Schooling (B = 0.5 (with 95%CI: 0.2–0.8) and number of dentists per 10,000 people (B =-0.62 (with 95%CI: 0.51 − 0.48) were positively in associated with FT.ConclusionsThe present findings indicate that there were differences in the oral health measures and their social determinants among the provinces of Iran. Regarding the limitations of the study especially the limitation of the number of independent variables, it seems, this discrepancy could be better explained by social variables of the provinces such as income than by environmental factors.

Factors Influencing Despair, Self-blame, and Acceptance Among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Malaysian Perspective.

Accepting and adapting to the child's diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be challenging for parents. We aimed to assess domains of parental adjustment namely despair, self-blame, and acceptance among parents whose children were diagnosed with ASD. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 111 parents of children with autism who attended Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit (CAPU), in a university teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sociodemographic profiles of both parents and children were gathered. Parental adjustment focusing on parental self-blame, despair and acceptance were assessed using self-reported questionnaires namely Adjustment to the Diagnosis of Autism (ADA). Higher level of despair was associated with parents who have medical illness (β = 0.214, p = 0.016) and children who received antipsychotic medications (β = 0.329, p < 0.001). Parents with tertiary education (β = -0.207, p = 0.023) and those with autistic child attended school (β = -0.200, p = 0.037) have lower level of despair. Parents with medical illness (β = 0.245, p = 0.008), child receiving antipsychotic medications (β = 0.251, p = 0.005), Chinese ethnicity (β = 0.185, p = 0.04), and child's gender (β = 0.283, p = 0.003) were significantly associated with higher level of self-blame. Lower acceptance was found among Chinese parents (β = -0.264, p = 0.005) while married parents had higher acceptance levels (β = 0.215, p = 0.022). Parental adjustment involving domains of despair, self-blame, and acceptance were significantly associated with ethnicity of parents, educational level, parents' marital status and medical illness, as well as the ASD children's schooling status and type of medications used.

A Study on the Current Situation of Education of Rural Children with Serious Illnesses Who Go to the City for Medical Treatment A Case Study of WuJiaNong in Hefei City

This study analyzes the current situation of family education and school education of special children with major illnesses such as leukemia and malignant tumor who travel to the city specifically for medical treatment in rural areas, taking WujiaNong in Hefei as an example. After understanding the economic pressure, mental pressure, and social support of these special groups, and taking into account the situation of local voluntary organizations, the current situation of family education and schooling of children with leukemia in WuJiaNong, Hefei City is clarified, and the causes of their education problems are analyzed in the light of various factors, to draw the attention of the society and improve the current situation of the lack of family education and schooling of children with major diseases in rural areas.