Labelling Students

What is labelling
• Labelling students identifies individuals or
groups according to different categories
assigned to them.
• Lazy • struggling students
• Stupid • gifted students
• Slow • special education
• Backward students."
• Labelling a child can actually influence the way
others see and treat them.
• When a child is negatively labelled, people’s
expectations of them are lowered.
• As a result the child may not be adequately
challenged or receive the opportunities
needed to reach his/her potential.
• Even apparent positive labels such as ‘good
girl/boy’ can put them under severe pressure
to constantly perform, striving to meet
people’s expectations of them. This can be
equally detrimental to their development.
• Once labelled, it is very difficult to lose that
tag, despite the fact that children are often
mislabelled.
• Naturally, labelling a child will have a huge
impact on their self-esteem. When a person
hears something about themselves often
enough, they eventually start to believe it and
act accordingly.
• Putting labels on children can affect how their
peers see and treat them.
• Low Self-Esteem, imbibe negative self concept,
lower down the self confidence
• Lower Expectations from Parents & Teachers
• Student embarrassment if labelled as looser or
failure
• Student will be more boastful if labelled as very
intelligent
• Stigmatization of the students with negative labels
based on their performance
• Limits the learning
• Smith & Luccason (1992) “ Certainly labels are
harmful when, as a result of that individuals
are disregarded, discriminated against,
excluded from the society or placed in
classroom without regard to their
individuality.
 Other side of the coin (Positive
effects)
• Labelling can help us to identify children with
special needs.
• This will in turn allow caregivers and professionals
to develop an effective IEP (Individual Education
Plan) and provide extra learning support where
needed.
• Identifying specific needs may be necessary to
attain government support and funding.
• Recognising a child’s needs and where his/her
behaviours possibly stem from, helps others to be
more understanding and tolerant of them.
 What the teacher can do
• The teacher must
- Convey constant message of acceptance
- Focus on strengths and abilities not on
weaknesses
- Make sure other classmates have positive
attitude towards the child