Psychosocial Support For Learners In Child And Youth Headed Households In The Context Of Parental Labour Migration: Exploring Stakeholder Based Support In Zimbabwe And South Africa

Abstract

Due to globalisation, economic and political factors there is a growing number of learners in parent-child separation configurations in Zimbabwean and South African schools. This statistic is mainly driven by parental labour migration, which is a survival strategy in the face of prevailing socio-economic conditions in the two countries. The outcome is of fluid family arrangements and a unique form of parent-child separation that invariably affect the well-being and educational proficiency of such learners. In that regard, this study endeavours to explore a psychosocial support framework to enhance coping as well as provide protection, support and empowerment for left-behind learners in child and youth headed households (CYHH). The goal is to develop a conducive milieu to ensure that labour migration becomes a sustainable strategy for both the migrating parents and the children left behind in CYHH. This is measured by improved well-being and sustainable learning for the learners left-behind learners. To achieve that end, the study used an eclectic approach in developing a conceptual framework. Reference was made to the ecological theory, the Asset-based approach and aspects from positive psychology to underpin the conceptual framework. This study is qualitative and adopted a phenomenological case study design so that subjective experiences of the learners left in CYHH inform the proposed support framework. Two secondary schools, one in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe and the other in the Free State province of South Africa were purposively selected for the study. Fourteen left-behind learners in CYHH arrangements, six education and six community personnel informed the study through narrative interviews, focus group discussions, observations, open ended questionnaires and information sharing sessions. The above mentioned participants constitute the stakeholders that informed the study. Collected data was transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed using codes and categories. Findings from the study provide valuable lens for teachers, education and community stakeholders to better understand the psychosocial barriers associated with left-behind learners in CYHH. Left-behind learners are said not to possess the requisite social, behavioural and emotional competencies to compete favourably within the education system of both Zimbabwe and South Africa. The study recommends support, protection and empowerment for learners in CYHH through the utilisation of their ecological resources and inherent assets to facilitate constructive and sustainable learning in schools. The study concluded that support built through the utilisation of the learners’ innate assets and ecological resources is superior and more sustainable in terms of improving coping strategies, learning experiences and the well-being of learners in CYHH following parental labour migration. The social milieu was revealed as a moderator of resilience which is an important resource in improving the well-being of left-behind learners.