«School psychologists need the help of parents»

A beautifully restored townhouse in Zurich's District 6, with the Waidberg school psychology service rooms on the 3rd floor. There is a play corner in the corridor and a sandpit with sand toys in the school psychologist's office. Ruth Etienne Klemm smiles, strokes the skirt of her costume and sits down. Documents are spread out on the table in front of her. She has prepared herself well for the interview with the journalist.

Mrs Etienne Klemm, as a school psychologist you work closely with teachers, head teachers, the school council and parents. What concerns do parents come to you with?

When parents contact the school psychological service, it is always about their child's difficulties at school and with learning. They are worried that their child is not getting on well at school, think that their child is not being seen «correctly» by the teacher, that their child's abilities and efforts are not being properly assessed, or they say that the child does not feel comfortable in class.

What does that mean in concrete terms?

Let's take an example: A child is in year 6 and wants to take the entrance exams for grammar school. The parents are convinced that this school is just right for their child. The teachers, on the other hand, see some difficulties with learning and work attitude. Parents may then come to us with the idea that their son or daughter has a spelling difficulty for which they would like to obtain compensation. This would mean that the child is given extra time or is allowed to use certain aids, for example a spelling dictionary, in the exam.

And the school psychological service is looking into it.

We contact the school the child attends. Has anything already been done there and, if so, what? Did the teachers also notice this difficulty in previous school years? Have any measures been taken, such as special reading or spelling training? With what success? If not, the child can be clarified by us. Of course, this must be done very carefully so that there is no suspicion that the parents are just trying to give the child an advantage.

Do you have another example for us?

Another time, I was contacted by parents who thought their 8-year-old son was very gifted and bored in class. They had discussed in the family council whether the boy should perhaps skip a class. He was so eager to learn and the parents wanted him to keep the joy of learning. I then approached the teacher, who was basically of the same opinion. The boy was very advanced on a cognitive and social level. However, she wasn't sure whether he would fit into a fourth class in terms of emotional maturity.

How did you proceed?

I invited the whole family to talk to them. I wanted to get to know their perspective well and carried out an IQ test with the boy and projective methods (sand games, drawings). We talked about possible conflict situations and hurdles in the future classroom and played them out a bit as a test: «What can you do in such a case?» «What do you normally do?» After a conversation like this, you can better assess the child's social and emotional capabilities and abilities.

And what was your impression of the boy?

He was still a young schoolboy in a likeable, endearing way.

So the teacher had judged him correctly?

By all means! We then worked together to prioritise them. His cognitive and social skills were very strong and he already had a good emotional foundation. He wasn't someone who was easily unsettled, so we all had the impression that it would be worth a try, despite his current lack of maturity.

So he skipped a class ...

... and did well. Today he is at grammar school and happy.

«Some parents delegate their dreams to their children. And overburden them.»

Ruth Etienne Klemm

What problems do teachers approach you with?

Their enquiries are often about very restless children who disrupt lessons, are loud and cannot follow the material. Or they have the impression that they cannot support them sufficiently and that the large mainstream class is not an adequate setting for their special needs. For example, they suspect ADHD and hope to know better what is going on with the child after an assessment. On the one hand, they want to improve the classroom atmosphere and, on the other, help the pupil.

And if the parents do not agree to a clarification?

We respect that. In such a case, I would discuss their questions with the teacher. Depending on the situation, I might then visit the classroom as part of a general school visit to get an impression of the overall dynamics and advise the teacher.

Of course, look at the child in question. Assume that you have the same impression as the teacher.

Then I would also communicate this. Together with the teacher, we would consider how we could get the parents to cooperate and what other measures could help the child to follow the lessons better.

What measures could these be?

In some cases, it helps to choose a quieter seat. There are also headphones that dampen the noise level in the classroom. This helps many people to concentrate better. Others need very detailed work instructions, guidelines based on a flowchart that they can follow. If that's not enough, we need the parents on board. We then suggest a joint discussion with the teacher, the school management and the parents.

Is there an authority that can decide that a child should be assessed by a school psychologist?

Yes, the school administration. But we do everything we can to avoid such «coercive measures». We rely on the co-operation of the parents - they know the child best. Fortunately, I haven't come across a case like this yet. As a rule, all sides work very well together. For the good of the child.

In many municipalities, small classes have been closed and children with special educational needs have been integrated into mainstream classes. How has this changed your work?

You are referring to the new primary school law. It has brought about a paradigm shift: from separation to integration. Basically, it can be said that the composition of classes has become more heterogeneous and learning has become more individualised, which is a major challenge for teachers, but also for us psychologists. Whereas previously the focus was primarily on the child's difficulties, we now also pay more attention than before to the child's environment, interactions and everything that promotes or hinders the child's participation in class.

A lot has also changed at a social level in recent years.

Oh yes. The demands on families have increased. Many parents today work 150 per cent, so to speak, are under a lot of pressure and don't have a clear head. Some are also too tired at the weekend to really engage with their children and are unable to adopt a clear parenting approach. They give in where they shouldn't. On the other hand, we now have many families with a migration background or refugees who are barely familiar with our culture and our school system. As a result, many things are delegated to the school these days, such as practising rules or giving attention and care.

Can you tell us about such a case?

I was once involved in the case of a little first-grader who was upsetting the whole class. Two teachers, the head teacher, the president of the school board, the speech therapist, the parents and I sat together at a round table. The teachers described the boy as an absolute troublemaker who could never pay attention, didn't do any work, constantly distracted the other children and was now unacceptable in the classroom. The parents couldn't believe their ears. He was the favourite child at home, loved to play, helped his mother and father. It was as if we were talking about two different children.

«Parents are worried that their children might not learn a good profession one day.»

Ruth Etienne Klemm

What have you done?

We had two completely different pictures of one and the same child in front of us. I wanted to bring these two pictures together. I suggested that the boy, who had already been excluded from school, be allowed to return to school for a month on the condition that his father or mother accompanied him. I would make a class visit after a week. I was impressed by what I saw. The boy was constantly keeping his mum on her toes, she had to constantly jump in after him: «Be quiet now», «you have to do this», «you can't talk now, it's disruptive», «sit down and take the pencil ...»

Did the parents not want to see the reality?

They couldn't see the reality of a school class. The teacher has 20 children to look after and not just one. She relies on the children to stick to common rules, to pay more or less attention when she asks them to, to listen and to develop the feeling of being part of a larger group. The boy was allowed to stay in the class. He received additional support and the parents were motivated to help ensure that the boy could stay.

The examples you mentioned concern primary school pupils. Is your help no longer required for upper school pupils?

Oh yes, we do. We often still encounter the same problems at upper school - exacerbated by school fatigue and puberty difficulties. A major goal for these pupils is always to do everything possible to ensure that they can complete their school leaving certificate so that they can start an apprenticeship or a shortened apprenticeship with a certificate. They are often given additional support through various bridging programmes so that they can find their way into the primary labour market.

What concerns mums and dads most today?

I think the worry that their children might not learn a good job one day, that they might not manage to climb the social ladder or that they might be threatened by social decline is something that worries many people from a very early age. Parents want their children to receive the best possible training and support so that they can later find secure jobs and earn good money. This builds up a lot of pressure, not only on the children, but also at school. We school psychologists are always trying to help reduce this stress.

How do you proceed in such cases?

It is important for me to understand why parents themselves have so much stress and cause so much stress. Your own history plays a massive role in your upbringing - including your own school career. Some people are familiar with this pressure to perform from their own parental home. Others may come from a country where social and economic conditions did not allow for higher education. They now delegate their dreams to their children. Still others fear global competition and think that the earlier they start school, the better. For example, a father who wanted his daughter to start school at the age of six once argued that children in other countries also start school this early.

What can you do?

I try to convince people that a good start to school is crucial for children. Cut short kindergarten years rarely pay off. On the contrary! When the children are ready for school, they are equipped for new things and can benefit from the lessons - and not just them, but everyone around them too.

Many parents are very present when it comes to tests, exams and so on. Are they sending out the wrong signals?

A one-sided emphasis on performance is very counterproductive. A rule of thumb for parents is: show a broad interest in your child's world. And that includes a lot of things: other children, friends, school, everyday family life, outings together. However, this requires time, which is often lacking in many families today. The relationship between parents and children can suffer as a result. However, it is important for children and their development to be able to live, maintain and develop a good relationship with their parents. However, when it comes to transferring to grammar school or secondary school, grades do play an important role.

In Germany, too, more and more parents want to see their children at school.

We school psychologists are not happy about this development. I pity the overburdened children who struggle through grammar school because they are not suited to this type of school. For many pupils, a secondary school leaving certificate followed by an apprenticeship is a much better basic education and a good foundation. Experience shows that success and the joy of what you have achieved increases the desire to continue learning. I often say to parents: if we succeed in ensuring that your child has a good school career in which they are happy and satisfied and learn a lot, they will make their way.

The school psychological service

School psychological services are public counselling centres. Their services are available free of charge to children and young people, their parents and teachers. School psychologists carry out assessments, advise on learning difficulties, behavioural problems or school career issues and recommend supportive measures. There are school psychology services in all cantons. Information and contact addresses can be found at www.schulpsychologie.ch.