Introduction Special students is a term that has been used in education area for judging students who are

with special learning needs. Lewis and Doorlag (2003) divided four types of students who have special needs: students with disabilities, gifted and talented individuals, diverse students, and students at risk for school failure. However, this paper attempts to discuss about special students that is more focused in at-risk students. In addition, the writer tries to relate some current issues and attempts to analyze and evaluate it. Elias, Noordin, Mahyuddin, Fauzee, Abdulah & Ruslan (2008) have investigated that many behavioral problems consider among at risk students, the problems include smoking, skipping classes, inability to understand subject taught, going out at night, fighting, disrespecting teachers, cheating, and illegal motor racing. The students at risk also have the potential school dropout, potential or actual delinquents, runaways, teenage parents, and suicide risks (Lewis and Doorlag, 2003). Thus, the students at risk have very real educational needs that must be addressed by schools, teachers, parents as well as the governments. There are some issues that could be noted by educators for helping students at risk. In this point, the writer divides the issues by looking into: 1. Behavior disorder 2. Suicide 3. Dropout 4. Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Problem Behavior Disorder There is no doubt that what happens in the home can affects children emotionally, condition at home also can influence students motivation and concentration in the class.

However, it can be seen that home conditions affect student performance when condition in the family is poverty and instability (Frymier, 1992). Family poverty and instability cause youth become more independent from their parents and they more like to spend time with peers. They are also highly influenced by the opinion of their peers. Consequently, they become rude. There was a case in 1980, that had made public shocked. Ted Bundy was from family poverty and instability. He had behavior disorder since in high school. He had been arrested by police due to killed 36 young women (Wikipedia, 2002). Thus, this tragedy shows that at risk students can lead to a serious problem that can affect to social life. Ted Bundy was an example that described the situation of behavior disorder among at risk students. However, it can be proven by a study that family condition can affect to behavior problem (Duncan, 1997 ) Suicide Several factors associated with at risk adolescents. One of these factors is an indication of suicidal tendencies. However, suicide is third leading cause of death among students after unintentional injury and homicide. There were 2000 deaths of young people in United Stated with 10 to 19 year age range in 1998. Unfortunately, they have increased about 6% in 2001 (National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, 2001). The educators have been clustering some indications that make young people to do suicide. One of indicators is inability to compete in school and failing grade. There some case in Japan, which students who failed in schools did suicide. It was about 14% students in elementary school did suicide, and 23% in middle and senior high school (JapanTimes,

2007). Thus, this phenomenon should be alert for teachers, schools, parent, and government to play important role in identifying students who are risk to be suicide. Dropout Actually, the term at risk students is to identify individuals who are at risk of dropping out from the educational system (Mcwhirter, 2004). The educators and researchers believe that the number of students dropping out of schools is a major problem that commonly happening in many countries. It can be noted that the data show in 2008, 33% of students in United State were dropout, and 4.4 percent of students in Asia had dropout (National Center for Education Statistics, 2010). Thus, from the data can be indicated that drop out is still a big issue nowadays. Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Problem There is no doubt that environment can destroy children behavior. Many cases show that the young people did immoral action because environment has forced them. For example, it is commonly in Malaysia, young people are doing dating, and be pitied their parents also allow it. As a result, Malaysia has a serious problem regarding teenage pregnancy and baby dumping. The data show that the number of teenage pregnancy in Malaysia has increased slightly. In 2008 there are 107 cases were faced, and in 2010 to be 111 cases (The Star, 2010). Not only teenage pregnancy has been a crucial issue among at risk students. There has been discovered by a research that the prevalence among gay or lesbian students was higher than the prevalence among heterosexual students for a median of 63.8% of all the risk behaviors measured, and the prevalence among bisexual students was higher than the

prevalence among heterosexual students for a median of 76.0% of all the risk behaviors measured (Center for disease control and prevention, 2011). The problems that the writer has mentioned above such as behavior disorder, dropout, suicide, and teenage pregnancy. It just only few problems that have faced, and there are still many problems that should be caring out by many people regarding at risk students problems. Discussion There few questions come up from situations that faced among at risk students: 1. Why they do it? 2. Who is responsible about these problems? 3. What is the best solution to handle the problems? Many educators argued that an important factor brings students associated with being at risk is family condition (Wood, 2006 &Vaughn, Bos & Schumm, 2003). The family condition includes poverty, parents divorced, father or mother died, family members used drugs, parents have negative attitude, parent is alcoholic, several brother and sister who have dropout, parent did not graduated from high school, parent has a serious illness, parent have IQ score below 90, and has three or more brothers and sisters. Whereas, other factors that lead students to be risk are, by looking their psychology and environment. For example, a negative sense of self-esteem, peers used drugs, lives in an inner city (urban area), etc. From the factors that have been noticed by educators, the important way that the schools should consider is highlighted students background. It means the schools should identify firstly the family background of the students before attend to schools. In this way, the schools will be easy to investigate who students are easy to be risk.

The second question is who should take responsibility of the problems. However, there is no time to judge who has a mistake from these issues. Now, the first step that should be highlighted is government, schools, society, and parents have to work together to solve, and minimize the issues. Unfortunately, only few countries that very concerned about at risk students. For instance, United Stated has a special curriculum for at risk student. They also have built some schools which concern to teach students with special needs such as at risk students. Perhaps, special school is one of good solutions for at risk student, but the government should concern about the image that come up from the society. Sometimes, the public has a negative perspective about person who graduated from a special school. It can be seen that the students who from a special school (at risk students school) are similar like people who are out from jail. The other problem also faced in some schools around the world. Many schools do not have regularly a program that to be a link between parents and schools. In Indonesia, most of the schools they only invite the parents when the schools have programs such as graduation ceremony and competition. Actually, they should have a program monthly for showing condition of their children. It can make easy to schools to solve the problem when it happens. Now, what is the best solution to handle the problems? First, the step that should be aware among people is how to minimize the problems that might be come out by at risk students. The people who might be charged to this issue are the teachers. This is because the teachers can be easier to identify students who approach a risk rather than parents. There are several clues that should be noted by the teachers in order to identify their student. According to Vaughn, Bos & Schumm (2003), three ways that can consider to identify students who become a risk: absenteeism, poor academic performance, and attitude

and behavior. If these conditions happen to a student, teacher should be aware and consult with principle as well as the parents. The second step that can be used for helping students at risk is provided a special consultant in schools. However, many schools do not have a consultant (psychologist), and it makes some cases in schools become complicated. As known, the teachers are not psychologist. They do not understand deeply about behavior and mental process. If every school has a psychologist, it brings helpful to the teachers to handle students with special needs as well as at risk students. Identifying students interest is to be the others step. As know, at risk students have problem with motivation. By knowing they are expectation, it can encourage them to be more motivated and increase self-esteem. In addition, making extracurricular activities can also be one of solutions to encourage at risk students. Islamic perspective As known before, the condition that lead students become risk mostly due to family condition. In Islam, Allah says in At-Tahrim verses 6 O ye who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded. According to Buhairi (2008), the verse shows that Muslims should educate themselves and their families, tell them to do good, forbade doing something bad, and together fulfill the command of Allah, assist them in matters of taqwa to Allah. Thus, Islam very concerns about parents should educate their children in order to save from a fire.

Unfortunately, many parents do not educate their children nicely. They only believe that schools can teach their children, but in Islam the parents who have big responsibility about their children behavior. As a teacher, Islam says that Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancor: fear Allah: for Allah is strict in punishment(AlMaidah: 2). The verse describes that Muslims should help each others in the right path. Teachers also should help their students with love in order to make them better Muslims. However, the children can become a test from Allah for their parents. Quran says in At-Taghabun: 15, Your riches and your children may be but a trial: but in the Presence of Allah, is the highest, Reward. On other verse describes that Muslims should be aware with family and give them forgiveness if they do a mistake, O ye who believe! Truly, among your wives and your children are (some that are) enemies to yourselves: so beware of them! But if ye forgive and overlook, and cover up (their faults), verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (AT-Taghabun: 14). Conclusion At risk students is one of special students that schools, teachers, parents and government should work together in order to help them. However, there are several issues in many countries that have been faced because of at risk students. Some of the issues are suicide and pregnancy teenage. The issues that come up currently should be addressed and attempting to find the best solution by educators, parents as well as governments.

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