Petrina Francis, Education Reporter
A TRANSFORMATION team is currently doing groundwork across the island to establish a National Parent Teachers' Association.
The establishment of the association was a recommendation that was made by the task force report on education.
Sharon Wolfe, director of communications for the transformation team told The Gleaner that the team has been conducting workshops with PTA's in the Kingston Metropolitan area and Manchester. Another workshop is also scheduled for the western end of the island this week.
The director of communications noted that representatives of all levels of the education system are involved in the workshops to sensitise parents of their role in education.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
She said that it is important to get parents involved in the education process, because they have recognised the important role that they can play, noting that all the institutions that are successful have a strong contingent of parents who are actively involved.
According to the task force report, while some parents are already involved financially through cost sharing and other types of support, several parents are delinquent in the care and involvement of their children's welfare as evidenced by absentee and abusive parents. Additionally, some parents are ignorant of their roles and responsibilities.
Mrs. Wolfe noted that there are many young parents who are sometimes unsure of their roles in their children's education and such an association would be helpful to guide them.
