Dear Editor,

DURING the COVID-19 pandemic schools have been closed; and while some children and families have internet access and electronic devices, there are many families without internet access sometimes because of where they live and sometimes because they simply cannot afford a phone, much less Wifi. Parents however, still have a duty to ensure that their children are involved in some kind of learning during this period. Many parents during the pandemic made the time to support their children with school work: some parents put in extra data in their phones to access the information coming from teachers and/or researched materials online that support their children’s learning. Parents, give yourselves a pat on the back for being more supportive and for having greater appreciation for the role of teachers.

Whether a child has internet access or not, the first step to a child achieving an education is the interest and involvement of the parent. Whether the parent is educated or uneducated, their involvement is what helps the child to progress or succeed in their school work. Parental involvement is the involvement of parents in the upbringing and education of their child, both at home and at school. Because of  the pandemic, children are required to be educated at home and parents are playing both the role of a parent and teacher. If a parent is unable to meet their children where they are academically, they can play the supervisory role and even take a non-traditional approach to teaching by allowing their children to teach them what they have learnt.

Many children do not have access to the internet or devices to participate in online classes or have access to learning materials online. Poverty is one of the chief contributing factors here. Guyana continues to make improvements in addressing poverty, but the Household Income and Expenditure Survey and the Guyana Living Conditions Survey each indicate that the proportion of households living in moderate poverty – that is, living on US $2 per day – is 36 per cent. The lack of these resources should not make educating children impossible, but should inspire a different approach to teaching and learning. Parents are now allowed to become more engaged in their children’s education by being the teacher and parent because children are at home. Parents can work with their children from home without using  the internet. For example, at the kindergarten/ nursery school level, children are learning and developing their motor skills, so it is important that learning be creative, practical, and fun; for example, playing with dough such as ‘play-doh’ to make shapes. Additionally, parents can use household materials to teach children. For example, parents can use clothes to identify colours, use some salt in a pan or rice on the floor to write letters and numbers, peas and beans to count and write. These are just a few examples, but you can use your creativity to come up with your ideas. The main point is, make learning fun and practical for children at their age.

Parents should schedule a couple of hours in the day – perhaps from 09:00hrs to 12:00hrs — for teaching and completing schoolwork. Creating a schedule builds consistency for both the parent and child, especially for students at the primary school level who usually have work prepared by their teachers. However, if parents cannot afford to print or get the work from teachers, then they can use materials from the Ministry of Education Interactive Radio Initiative — a morning television show for children at different levels — or use the lessons printed in the Sunday edition of the Stabroek News. These can be completed under their parents’ supervision during the time scheduled by the parent, or during the time that the programmes are aired or broadcasted. It is also important that parents are involved in this process to assist the child. This will help parents to understand how well their child understands the material and the pace at which the child is working. Parents can inform teachers as to whether the child understands what is being thought or not, and the teacher can guide the parent in what corrective action to take. Teaching children at their level should also be fun and creative. Parents can use simple techniques like labeling things around the house, for example, with paper and scotch tape label the cup, the plate, chair, to teach children to spell words or give them fun tasks such as using one word in three sentences, hiding the clues around the house and letting children find these to include some fun.

Children at the secondary school level are more responsible and resourceful. They can contact their friends or find other means to get their classwork assignments. The primary role of the parent of a secondary school-aged child is to supervise and ensure that their teen is revising and learning life skills, which are necessary skills for survival in everyday life. These are not limited to, but includes, how to cook a simple meal, social skills and manners, simple sewing, how to wash and fold clothes, teach them the value of money and how to save it for use in the future, etc. These are all skills that they will need.

Many single-parents are unable to supervise their children due to their work schedules and children are left in the care of older siblings who might be at a school age. Though this is not the ideal situation, in these instances, parents can have a reward system in place for their children. Parents can leave school work for their children to do during the day which can be reviewed by the parent and children when the parent returns from work in the evening. Rewards, for example, stickers, a gum, or a sweet, can be given to children for their effort and for completing their work. Parents must remember that whether there is access to the internet or not, teaching children is still possible and what is key is their parental involvement in the process.

ChildLinK is working to create a Guyanese society where every child grows up in a loving, safe, and secure family and community. The Recovery, Safeguarding, and Reintegration initiative is supported by the Delegation of the European Union to Guyana and partners with the Childcare and  Protection Agency and several agencies to reintegrate children to safe families and educate the wider society on the prevention of child abuse. Please write us with your comments and questions. Let us know how you would like to get involved in protecting children in your community by emailing us at admin@childlinkgy.org. Report child abuse by calling the CPA on 227-0979, the closest police station, or ChildLinK on 233-3500 or email: admin@childlinkgy.org.

Yours faithfully,
Shaquita Thomas
Communications Officer
ChildLinK Inc.