By Awuor Wycliffe Akello
Development Expert
Parental guidance and obligation to bring up one’s child is key towards holistic development of the child in the society. Nonetheless, parental commitment to the welfare of their children has declined even as the country grapples with high rate of teenage pregnancies, HIV AIDS and school drop outs.
While the law obligates parents to provide support towards the learning and growth of their children, most parents have relegated this key role to just providing food,paying school fees then disappearing from ‘the scene’ leaving the child literally in the hands of the teacher while at school, and the house manager when the child is at home.
When parents fail to take their roles seriously, the society loses vision since children are the future of any society.
It is therefore prudent for every responsible parent to know what their child is going through by deliberately creating time to converse with them. This way, you are better able to detect early warnings of drug abuse, irresponsible sex among other vices that might suffocate the future of your child.
Parents are key stakeholders within the education sector not only on the basis of providing learners but also in the domain of their welfare. They are as such expected to commit themselves to school requirement including prompt payment of school levies as agreeable within law and management structures, provision of learner personal effects that safeguard their stay in school, purchase of stationery and uniforms as well as providing any other support required by the learner as may be deemed right by the school.
However, many school heads are facing management hurdles that majorly emanate from low parental commitment to schools. When some parents fail to pay requisite levies in time, it throws the institution to credit struggles with school suppliers. Besides, it becomes difficult for schools to effectively run their programmes unaffected. Parents should ensure that they honour their obligations on school fees so that managers have a clear focus on school needs.
While some parents may really be constrained economically, there are those who merely would want to exhibit negative energy on school administrators. More often than not, Principals have witnessed parents who after an amicable deliberation at school, they rush to education offices to lodge their dissatisfaction. This portrays betrayal on the part of the parent and post events may prove detrimental to learner’s freedom and peace that precedes good performance.
Schools are also grappling with a myriad of challenges ranging from resource gaps to learner indiscipline orchestrated by psycho-social environments both at home and at school. These challenges have put institutional managers in quagmire debating between only focusing on what they can humanly do within their professional jurisdictions and an attempt to go an extra mile to scratch the head to a resounding solution to keep them going. More than ever, the operational environment has to worsened, adding to low parental commitment which pushes the situation to a regrettable superlative.
Parents should also commit to the welfare of their children not only through payment of fees but also by keeping a close eye on their children. Sadly, this generation of parents has more attention to their jobs, career development and wealth creation than their own children.
Parental obligation has been pushed to house managers and other relatives who prescribe nearly everything for the child in the absence of the parent.
When parents let their children loose, they make them vulnerable to the ills of the world. If for instance young school girls live within unsupportive environments defined by lack of basic requirements such as sanitary towels, the child may look elsewhere to bridge this deficit. Consequently, the teenage girl falls prey to any sex predator that then hides in his support to take advantage of the girl. Hence, the rise in cases of school-drop outs among teenage girls and young boys being affected by desire to supplement family incomes through menial jobs become indispensible.
Schools are today grappling with a myriad of challenges ranging from resource gaps to learner indiscipline orchestrated by psycho-social environments both at home and at school. These challenges have put institutional managers in quagmire debating between only focusing on what they can humanly do within their professional jurisdictions and an attempt to go an extra mile to scratch the head to a resounding solution to keep them going. More than ever, the operational environment has moved from bad to worse and adding to low parental commitment can only push the situation to a regrettable superlative.
Parents should also commit to the welfare of their children not only through payment of fees but also by keeping a close eye on their children. Sadly, this generation of parents has more attention to their jobs, career development and wealth creation than their own children.
Parental obligation has been pushed to house managers and other relatives who prescribe nearly everything for the child in the absence of the parent.
Commitment of parents to the welfare of their children will also ensure prudent use of social media which most young people have been addicted to. And above all, parents must commit their children to their faith. A godless parent that leaves the child to fate is a description of a failing society.In summary, a committed parent will check on the discipline of his child so that school concentrates on holistic development of the learner in academics, talents, social attributes among other spheres.
