Impacts of Stress on Children's Development

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

    There are many factors of stress that impact on children's development in both mental and physical. Some of the more common stressors in a child's life are war, racism, natural disaster, isolation, hunger, noise, chaos, disease, environmental pollution, violence, and more. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a healthy family and in a great environment. However, I selected the impact of poverty on children's development as I had seen on some of my classmates when I was in elementary school. 

The impacts of poverty in Thailand on children's development

    Thai public schools are funded by the local government in which every Thai kid can attend school. Everyone is required to wear school uniforms in order to attend schools. It was the first stress that I saw from my classmates as some of their families did not have budgets enough to by uniforms. Some of them came in with used uniforms from their cousins or siblings. Instead of doing homework or study extra at home, some of my classmates had to help their families work after or before school to support the income of their families because of their lack of money. One of my close friends always took a nap during an afternoon class because he had to help his mom selling food in the morning market which causes a hard time for him to keep good grades. Most schools try to provide counselors to help students manage their stress and improve their education. 

    

    However, there is a wide range of quality schools depending on the funds they get. Some district schools are facing a lack of teachers and staff for students causing a challenge for children to receive finest education. Nevertheless, Sondergaard and Lathapipat (2017) have said that Thailand does not have a shortage of teachers, the problem is getting the teachers and other staff deployed in small schools.

The stressors in Rohingya children

    As we know that Rohingya is one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. They are restricted from freedom of movement, state education, and civil service jobs in Myanmar. According to UNICEF, hundreds of thousands of terrified Rohingya refugees began flooding onto the beaches and paddy fields of southern Bangladesh in August 2017. As the refugees, almost 60 percent of them were children who are poured across the border from Myanmar into Bangladesh. It is very terrible to see Rohingya children have to face these horrible all stressors including war, racism, isolation, hunger, noise, chaos, disease, environmental pollution, and violence. Most of the children, not even receive the appropriate help and resource to support their development. 

    With the support of the government and humanitarian partners, refugees have gained access to some basic services. But they remain highly dependent on short-term aid and are living in precarious conditions, particularly in congested camps, where living conditions are difficult and sometimes dangerous, especially during Bangladesh’s long monsoon and cyclone seasons.

    According to Amnesty International (2020), many human rights organizations have been campaigning for nearly half a million Rohingya children in Bangladesh’s refugee camps to be allowed to enjoy their right to quality education. Because education can and should ensure the development of the child’s personality, talents, mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential whilst enhancing respect for human rights and preparing them for responsible life in a free society. Up to now, the Bangladesh government still limits Rohingya refugee children access to education, limiting learning opportunities to a few provisional learning centers that offer playtime and early primary school lessons scattered across the refugee camps in the Cox’s Bazar district.

References 

Amnesty International. (2020). Bangladesh: Rohingya children get access to education. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/01/bangladesh-rohingya-children-get-access-to-education/#:~:text=Under%20the%20government's%20plans%2C%20Rohingya,curriculum%20and%20teach%20in%20Burmese.

Sondergaard, L. & Lathapipat, D. (2017). Providing quality education to one million students in Thailand’s small schools. 

Unicef. (n/a). Rohingya crisis. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/rohingya-crisis.