By Wendella Davidson

THE role of parents in a child or children’s education is undoubtedly and overwhelmingly crucial and could never be overemphasised.

Too often, but most unfortunately, many parents see the education of their children as a total responsibility of teachers and the education system. As such, they have, little to no role, in perhaps the most important aspect of a child’s life, although it is education that will prepare him/her to meet the challenges of life and to pursue a successful career.

Just recently, the results of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) 2018 were released and one can just imagine the anxiety and nervousness of, both the children who wrote the examination and the respective parents, as they awaited the announcement while wondering if their child’s name was among the coveted top 100.

Let’s not forget the toll it took on those children from the months of preparation, consisting of long school hours and possibly after school lessons as well, coupled with the excitement and nervousness in late March when some 14,000 students wrote the examination over two days.

In the days of some grandparents and in some cases parents in olden days, many did not have any level of schooling, thus a great majority of them were illiterate, as not much emphasis or keen interest was paid in the schooling or education of the children then. Many stories are told of young boys dropping out of school at an early age because they had to work to help out financially at home, while the girls were married off very early.

But, there were some households where even though the level of education of the parent/s was at a minimal and thus they could not have assisted their children with their school work, those parents nevertheless ensured that the children did their homework and studied at home. There are those of us who grew up in that era where we can recall parents urging their children on with the popular phrase “go and pick up yuh school books.”

Parents in that era also would regularly find out from teachers how their children were doing at school, hence there was minimal truancy or as the old saying goes, ’no time to skulk from school.’.
There are teachers who can testify that there many parents now who have never visited the school(s) their children attend, except perhaps on the day of registration.

And, even if there is an active Parent Teacher’s Association (PTA) at the school, some parents couldn’t care less, regardless of how many notices the children carry home.
PTA meetings are important as it allows for an interaction between parents and teachers and it is at such a forum that the parents of a child can learn a lot about the child. But some parents are of the view that it is all about collecting money for some fund-raising activity.

Parents undoubtedly have an equal or even greater role to play in the education of their child or children and should not leave the burden on the teachers. One can understand how difficult it can be for single-parent mothers, who in a bid to provide for the home and feed and clothe the children, do not get to spend quality time with the children. Some mothers are security guards and are forced to leave the children at home alone at nights while they work. And, if it is a day job, the hours may not allow them to properly monitor the children.

Many students, particularly in the city, can be seen idling at the roadsides and elsewhere before and long after school hours, and it was a welcome sight when the police had some time last year kept a steady presence at the popular liming corners and bus parks.
The best gift a parent can give a child is a sound education, and an involved parent can do wonders in helping a child to succeed. Do not allow them to influence you into spending hard-earned monies buying brand-name clothes and boots for them to attend school.

Invest in their education, buy books, encourage them to join the library and view educational programmes on TV.
Cartoons and other distractions on the television all have a time and place.