Resilience Through Asset-Based Processes And Relationships Of Inclusive Education
Many communities in South Africa are faced with challenges such as unemployment, single parent, or child-headed households, teenage pregnancy, poverty, crime, and HIV & Aids. In response, many schools are helping and opening their doors to communities as a place where risk and challenges can be addressed. Schools and teachers are well placed in communities to facilitate resilience by identifying, mobilizing and managing strengths and assets in the school-community context to meet needs and address barriers. Some factors make it hard for the learner and other factors help the learners to cope with the circumstances better. There will always be risk factors, but students will need to know their strengths and abilities to be able to identify and mobilize these factors to stand strong and to be able to handle the circumstances, hardships, and adversity in life. The asset-based approach is an important framework which can be used for resilience. An asset-based approach to resilienceAssets and recourses as a framework for resilience resources The learners need to view their assets by using the bio-ecological model and Mapping resilience factors by using a Visual representation of the learner's assets for example, Quadrant mapping. It provides a visual framework to plan for the mobilization of assets to address identified needs and establish interaction between risk factors and protective resources.
Teachers need to encourage and support resilience in learners, their classrooms and schools. Important key concepts teachers need to understand are the Asset-based coping which is the ability of a community or an individual to deal with one or more life challenges. By identifying and mobilizing existing assets within the community and among other community members, as well as external resources available in the community. Asset-focused resiliencies views individuals as best-placed to direct systematic coping choices and behaviors for their own resilience outcomes. The asset-based approach intends to reduce the inequalities in life chances as well as the circumstances, like for example poverty. It also illustrates how the bio-ecological approach can be implemented from a positive psychological perspective. It helps learners raise awareness. Resilience is being able to recover as quickly as possible from difficulties and challenges faced in life. Therefore, resilience through the asset-based approach is fundamental in fighting against problems faced in learning. Teachers are therefore the core of being able to encourage and support resilience in learners. Teachers should do more encouraging by helping learners see that the glass is "half full and not half empty". For Example: if a learner is a good leader to others he/she should nominate themselves as leaders for a group or classroom. Implementation of resilience through asset-based processes and relationshipsThe ability to use your strengths to complete different tasks, adapt in specific situations and to recover from failure.
Risk-focused methods
These aim to reduce or prevent risks such as premature births or teenage pregnancy. When the avoidance of risk is not possible, or the risk is not amenable to change, other approaches may be needed. Asset-focused approaches, these emphasize resources that enable adaptive functioning to counteract adversity, such as improved access to healthcare, additional tutoring, provision of parent education, job training opportunities for parents, etc. These approaches are particularly useful when risk factors are intractable and on-going. Process-focused approaches aim to protect, activate or restore fundamental adaptational systems to support positive development, such as strengthening positive, long-term relationship.
Conclusion
Considering everything mentioned it is of the utmost importance that teachers, communities and the district to be prepared and empowered to assist learners to reach their full potential. There are many ventures in South African educational circles to train and retrain teachers to accommodate a wide range of diversity in the inclusive education. The success of the policy of inclusive will depend on the motivation and diligence with which section of the educational structure making use of the instruments that are available to empower teacher. It is important that teachers and educational planner to take cognizance of the value of inclusive education in South Africa and ensure that they are eventually put into use in all schools.
