AS JAMAICA marks November as Parents Month, it is important to recollect and reconfirm the important role that parents play in the
education of their children. This applies to every segment of the education cycle early childhood, primary and secondary an indispensable contribution to the intellectual and emotional development of the child.
The involvement of parents in the school/student environment goes beyond the sacrifices of having to buy uniforms and books. Mothers and fathers need to be active participants in Parent-Teacher Associations. They need to take a
disciplined interest in seeing to it that youngsters complete their homework assignments and should, as far as possible, encourage them to take part in extra-curricular activities sporting and cultural events which help to build confidence and broaden the global outlook of the children.
The nuclear family structure, ideal for the upbringing of children, is sadly lacking in Jamaica. But this should be seen as a challenge for individual parents, especially fathers, to share with their children the adventure of growing up and maturing into productive citizens.
For sons, the absence of a father figure can result in confusion in how masculinity should be defined, deflecting the reality of manhood into a fantasy of macho behaviour, a penchant for big motor cars, loud music and in many cases the final aggression of the gun. For daughters, the absence of a father figure can result in a
hunger for male attention which often leads
to promiscuity.
The participation of parents at the early childhood level is especially important because the years between 0 and 6 are critical for the proper psychological orientation of the child. Community basic schools can do just so much and, without the help of parents, much of the good achieved by the school can be undone in an indifferent or hostile family environment. All available evidence shows that in homes where parental responsibilities are taken seriously,
children perform much better in any range or type of exams than their counterparts in
dysfunctional, self-centred families. The simple fact is that good parenting means better
education. This, we take it to be, is the true aim and meaning of Parents Month.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER
