It would be foolish to think that our education system meets the requirements of every child who enters at the age of five or six and leaves after thirteen years. However, some parents actually believe that our schools are entirely responsible for their children’s education. Parents who think this may put their children at a disadvantage.
Without a doubt, the majority of what a young child learns will happen in school, but there is also much that children will learn, and should learn, outside of the classroom. In my opinion some of the most important lessons a child will learn are taught at home. This means that parents have a responsibility to be active in their children’s education.
This statement is followed by two important questions. First, why should parents be active participants in their children’s education and second, what can they do to help their children succeed in school? There are two very important considerations, yet many parents fail to realize the importance of being involved in their children’s education.
To answer the first question of why parents are involved in their children’s education, just look at the numbers. One classroom teacher and twenty-five to thirty young minds to fill with knowledge can be a very difficult feat to achieve. The teacher-student ratio is very high, and while it’s hard to admit, some students will simply fall between the cracks in the system. Parents are the safety net for their children, yet many of them fail to realize this important fact. The greatest resource any classroom teacher can use is parents.
The second question deals with what parents can do to help their children develop in conjunction with the efforts of the education system. One thing parents should do to help with their children’s formal education is to take care of all aspects of their children’s school activities: academics, extra-curricular activities, and relationships. This means helping them with their homework and knowing what they are doing in class. This means getting them involved in school sports teams, music and drama clubs, and so on. Finally, it means knowing how your child interacts with others, and if they need guidance, you’re there for them.
Some of life’s most important lessons are taught at home. Parents should not expect some of these lessons to be taught in our schools. They must take responsibility and take an active part in the education of their children. After twenty five years of being part of the education system, one can see why some students succeed while others struggle. In many cases, the education received at home makes all the difference.
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