Chronicle Editor
PEER education can be described as learning from one’s peers. It is the process of sharing information among the students.
A peer educator is trained to provide factual information. After training, recruits will facilitate relaxed, informative and interactive programmes on a variety of health-related topics ranging from healthy sexuality to alcohol and drug abuse prevention at a school.
There are ways that peer educators can create change at a school. These ways will make the school learning environment friendly to all the students.
Qualities of a peer educator
A peer educator should be a student who’s friendly, willing to educate other peers and a good listener. It is in the role as a friend that a peer educator can impact a person positively.
This is possible because peer educators are always available for those who want to discuss a topic privately, listen in a non-judgemental way and be a bridge or link between the students and teachers. Peer educators support and encourage other students in their attempts to move forward.
Peer educators value others and believe in the individual’s power to move forward in his/her own life. Peer educators can empower students to move forward in their lives. Peer educators can help students set goals and visualise the positive changes that will take place if the person starts making healthier or safer decisions. Peer educators can be supportive in the creation of change by actions such as checking in with a student as to how he/she is doing in making changes.
Peer educators take on the role of educator by creating change in a number of different ways to other students. They teach other students about the school rules and good manner. They can also increase awareness of various school activities where students can have fun, and have a positive social life. They also help to raise resources for students who need additional assistance eg clothes, food and food fees.
Peer educators also identify social problems that are faced by other students in class. In case a student is abused, or facing any social problems home the peer educators quickly identify such a problem. In times of death or grief, it is the role of peer educators to work with teachers in comforting a grieving student.
A school becomes a good learning environment if peer educators work with class monitors and prefects to create a comfortable learning environment. Such a school will have few disciplinary cases. This is because the students are all part of the school organisation.
Peer educators can be given badges written peer educators and possibly a unique blazer to distinguish their role at school. It’s easy for students to communicate in their own peers and it becomes easy for the teachers and administration to know what will be taking place at school.
NB* Book for your school seminars and youth church conferences.
Dr Manners Msongelwa
+263 771 019 392
Author / Teacher/ Youth Coach
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter