Notes From Day Seven: Student success and the people who matter most

Fantastic instructors and talented counsellors — you'll find them at Fanshawe. The same goes for friends, new ones and old. These are all important people in the life of a student. They can have a definite impact on student success.

Other people who make a difference are former teachers and possibly, inspirational figures, although the ability of celebrity role models is probably quite modest compared to what some, especially celebrities, might think.

The people who matter most, though, when it comes to student success, appear to be ones a student can't chose: family members. Parents are at the top of that list. However, many have grown up in families where grandparents, other family members, or close friends have helped raise children. And no doubt, early childhood caregivers can be included as major influences in the later learning success of a student.

A 1994 study by the National Committee for Citizens in Education called “A New Generation of Evidence: The Family is Critical to Student Achievement” looked at key issues regarding the success of students after high school. In spite of its publication date, and although it was produced for an American context, it makes for reading that connects with ongoing issues regarding education in this country.

According to the study, students whose parents were highly involved in their education are most likely to enroll in post-secondary schooling and complete their programs. It also found that when parents cooperate with teachers, students are more successful. Another factor is bonding. Children are highly inclined to imitate the behaviours of the adults with whom they bond.

The study offers a very striking difference between public schools and “religious” schools such as those in Ontario's Roman Catholic system. The authors see a key parting of the ways between schools managed by religious communities and those that are not. Those who manage public education see themselves frequently as making up for the deficiencies of the family. Those who manage schools with “religious” foundations see themselves as an extension of the family and its commitment to, typically, the church. This is an important difference, one that perhaps students who have been educated solely in public or (in Ontario) Catholic schools might find difficult to identify. However, people like myself, who have been educated in “religious” as well as “non-religious” schools can be more aware of this important difference between the respective approaches to education.

So, if you are a successful student, you probably have family members to thank, likely parents.

But if you don't have parents or family members who were involved in your education, are you doomed to fail your college program? Absolutely not.

There are always students who succeed in college even if their parents are not highly educated or were not much involved in their education. Many of us acquire an inner strength to overcome the things that could hold us back if we let them.

We find the determination and resiliency needed to survive and possibly thrive as students. Or we discover that we love what we are studying. These are among the gifts for which we can be grateful — gifts that can carry us over many hurdles towards graduation.

Michael Veenema was a Chaplain at Fanshawe until 2004. He continues to write from his current home in Nova Scotia.

Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.