Page 119 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Cooperation Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 119
team cooperation in addressing esl ....
institutional resistance to external teams working on-site in schools should
also be discussed.
Regarding multi-professional teams established to deal with ESL, it
is recommended that team members discuss how they approach ESL pre-
vention (e.g. preventing absenteeism only or by focusing on any education,
health, social difficulties) and their understanding of ESL (e.g. is it the re-
sult of the student’s lack of investment or inadequate teaching, learning, pa-
rental involvement). This holds strong implications for their work. Another
important issue is how members of multi-professional teams develop ed-
ucational alliances at multiple levels (with teachers, amongst themselves,
among institutions). Creating bonds with teachers through attentive listen-
ing and stepping out of the role of expert helps develop an education alli-
ance with them. Awareness-raising concerning school-related ESL factors
that schools can influence is warranted (since teachers assign little weight
to these factors).
Moreover, reframing ESL as a (mental) health issue has the potential to
bring new players into the effort – parents, health institutions, young peo-
ple, civil rights groups. An explicit link has been drawn between emotional
counselling services and their role in preventing ESL. A counselling service
is established at school that deals with problems that may lead to leaving
the education system early but there is a belief that the class teacher is the
one who is first responsible for addressing such problems. He/she is the
one creating the class climate, recognising early signs of individual prob-
lems and able to react before their full escalation (Ivančič et al., 2010). This
may encourage public officials to think of the ESL problem as being central
to community health and as a long-term solution beneficial to the popula-
tion’s health (Freudenberg & Ruglis, 2007).
Conclusion
‘Better multi-professional working’ is a very popular recommendation
made for improving services that support vulnerable children and young
people. Yet it seems to be very difficult to achieve the long-term benefits
for children and young people that are expected of it, particularly in teams
covering a wider range of fields (Glenny & Roaf, 2008). Ongoing commit-
ment to the effectiveness of such collaboration should be provided, so that
the time taken in developing and maintaining the partnerships does not
lead to disappointment and frustration (ibid.). The findings from health
and social care (e.g. Daly, 2004; Frost, 2011) as well as education (Downes,
119
institutional resistance to external teams working on-site in schools should
also be discussed.
Regarding multi-professional teams established to deal with ESL, it
is recommended that team members discuss how they approach ESL pre-
vention (e.g. preventing absenteeism only or by focusing on any education,
health, social difficulties) and their understanding of ESL (e.g. is it the re-
sult of the student’s lack of investment or inadequate teaching, learning, pa-
rental involvement). This holds strong implications for their work. Another
important issue is how members of multi-professional teams develop ed-
ucational alliances at multiple levels (with teachers, amongst themselves,
among institutions). Creating bonds with teachers through attentive listen-
ing and stepping out of the role of expert helps develop an education alli-
ance with them. Awareness-raising concerning school-related ESL factors
that schools can influence is warranted (since teachers assign little weight
to these factors).
Moreover, reframing ESL as a (mental) health issue has the potential to
bring new players into the effort – parents, health institutions, young peo-
ple, civil rights groups. An explicit link has been drawn between emotional
counselling services and their role in preventing ESL. A counselling service
is established at school that deals with problems that may lead to leaving
the education system early but there is a belief that the class teacher is the
one who is first responsible for addressing such problems. He/she is the
one creating the class climate, recognising early signs of individual prob-
lems and able to react before their full escalation (Ivančič et al., 2010). This
may encourage public officials to think of the ESL problem as being central
to community health and as a long-term solution beneficial to the popula-
tion’s health (Freudenberg & Ruglis, 2007).
Conclusion
‘Better multi-professional working’ is a very popular recommendation
made for improving services that support vulnerable children and young
people. Yet it seems to be very difficult to achieve the long-term benefits
for children and young people that are expected of it, particularly in teams
covering a wider range of fields (Glenny & Roaf, 2008). Ongoing commit-
ment to the effectiveness of such collaboration should be provided, so that
the time taken in developing and maintaining the partnerships does not
lead to disappointment and frustration (ibid.). The findings from health
and social care (e.g. Daly, 2004; Frost, 2011) as well as education (Downes,
119
