By ALICIA WALLACE

Everyone seems to agree that young people in The Bahamas are struggling. The national average in the exams administered in ninth and twelfth grades are unsatisfactory and a cause for concern.

The national examinations, of course, are insufficient, at best, in measuring the students’ learning and ability to learn, yet it is the measurement tool the country insists on using. It indicates that there are issues with the education system, and that students are not being met with the resources that they need.

Due, in part, to the fervour around the national average every year, there are negative generalisations about students. This certainly does not help them to perform any better. We now have evidence that students are also struggling with mental health issues, and we know that there is inadequate support and difficulty in identifying and access it. We are getting closer to recognising the parents/guardians and teachers are not enough to support young people.

Is is apparent that everyone can see the problem we are facing. Young people need more support than parents/guardians and teachers can offer. The nuclear family and formal education—colonial in content and structure—have been sold to us as ideal, but they fall short in many ways.

We have always had and needed extended families to support the development of children, yet we moved away from it as we bought into neoliberalism and the privatisation of everything. We have to return to more communal ways of living. We need to support one another through every stage of life and respond to the needs of families with children which evolve over time.

We do not have to be parents/guardians or teachers to take an active role in supporting young people in becoming healthy, happy, emotionally intelligent, capable people who can navigate the twists and turns of life. One of the most important things we can do is show children that they have community, that they can ask for help, and that there are people who will answer their questions, fuel their ambition, show up when needed, and cheer them on.

Here are some actions you can take to show the young people in your life that you are a part of their support system:

1. Support families in preparing for the new school year. Back to school is an expensive, stressful time of year. There are both the need and the expectation for children to have new school uniforms, bags, and supplies. While some of it may be vanity, children are growing quickly, supplies deteriorate and get depleted, and there is a positive correlation between the confidence people feel and the ability to perform well.

Textbooks are expensive and they are usually not included in school fees. It can be frustrating just to find the books, then the price presents another issue. Offer to help source books, and if you can pay for some of that, many family would greatly appreciate it.

Back to school season is a great time to step up as an aunt, uncle, cousin, godparents, friend of the family, or community member. The more you can help to take the load off of parents/guardians, they more time and space they have to attend to the emotional needs of their children. If you can, take the child(ren) with you and turn the boring, necessary to-dos into a fun day. To the extent that you are able, allow them to make choices and encourage them to show their personalities, if only in the backpacks and folders they choose. You will likely have more patience for this than the tired parents with the dwindling budgets.

2. Encourage participation in extra-curricular activities, both with your words and your resources. All children should be exposed to activities beyond school, household duties, and other obligations. Encourage them to try different activities.

Let them know that it is okay to be a beginner, it is okay for someone else to be the best, it is okay to put in the effort to get better, and it is okay to enjoy activities even when they do not excel in them. Assure them that their worth is not determined by their performance in any of the activities they try.

Help young people to create balance in their lives and to recognise the value in activities that are not related to grades or money. Introduce them to team sports and solo sports. Expose them to games like chess that require strategy rather than quick moves. Show that you value the arts and encourage their interests in drawing, painting, sculpting, sewing, singing, or any other forms of art that get their attention or pique their curiosity.

Pay the registration fee, buy the uniform, provide the pickup, look into scholarships and discounts, and show them that they have opportunities and they have people who will help them to take advantage of them.

3. Demonstrate interest in their lives, thoughts, and ideas. Many young people have no one to listen to them. Parents/guardians are often unavailable, stretched thin and exhausted by their obligations.

Sometimes children do not feel safe talking to their parents/guardians, or they can sense their stress and try to stay out of the way. Ask them questions. Pay attention to their answers. Let them know that you know they have interesting things to say. Be a person they can rely on to listen to the stories of their days.

Share in their upset about an interaction with a friend and help them to find appropriate ways to address them. Listen when they complain about the rules at home, affirm their feelings, and give them your perspective in a loving way. Make it easy for them to talk about their wildest dreams because they could never imagine that you would laugh or tell them they cannot achieve what they set out to do.

4. Treat them to something simple. Small gestures go a long way in making people, including children, feel special. The day at the waterpark, trip to Miami, and shopping spree at a department store are definitely fun and memorable, but the beauty of an experience is not necessarily dependent on the money or amount of time spent.

An hour teaching a child to float can be a core memory. It is one-on-one time that is linked to a skill and will likely come with a few funny moments or a moment of fear that turns into lifelong trust.

Thirty minutes at an ice cream shop talking about the best flavours, favourite colours, highlights of the summer is a low-pressure engagement that can build or strengthen a relationship and does not require a specific outfit or absurd amount of money. Conch fritters for a child who really enjoys them might be the highlight of the week. Small treats are a way to give something that shows you pay attention to them, you want them to be happy, and you are setting time aside that is just for them.