NCC and Education team up to improve pupils’ performance |20 December 2012

The pilot programme, initiated by the National Council for Children (NCC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, is targeting a group of S3 pupils who from primary to S1 have been very good performers but who are now seeing their academic performances alarmingly deteriorating.

The Neuro Linguistic Programme (NLP) has among its aims to coach pupils to have a vision for their future, rekindle their interest in their studies, motivate and empower them to take their responsibility and reach their full potentials.  

The programme is being conducted by Patricia Francourt, an Education and Skills Development consultant working in the UK where the programme has been successfully carried out.

The programme targets not only the pupils but also involves parents and teachers and counts a lot on their commitment to make it work.

At the introductory presentation held recently at the Mont Fleuri secondary school, the pupils were accompanied by their parents. Also present were Education Minister Macsuzy Mondon, the principal secretary from the same ministry Merida Delcy, the school’s head teacher Rosemary Violette as well as other teachers.

In her presentation Ms Francourt said the programme enables pupils to see their experiences in different perspectives.

“Among other things the NLP looks at the beliefs, feelings, behaviour, performance, perception and self talk,” she said, adding that all are aimed at changing the attitudes and mindset of the pupils.

The programme which includes a lot of practical activities, assignments for pupils with targets and goals will require sessions with the pupils twice a week for six weeks.

Then there will be a review which will be followed by an evaluation.
Ms Francourt said among the expected outcomes of the programme is remarkable improvement in pupils’ performance and a boost in their self-confidence.

Minister Mondon said it is an important programme which could bring some transformation in students in terms of their behaviour, study performances and also changes in the way they view their school.

The programme is expected to be launched officially next year and Minister Mondon noted that if it works well it would be adopted in other schools around the country.