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Gokhool requests more involvement of parents in school life
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Gokhool requests more involvement of parents in school life
One of the top priorities of the minister of Education, Dharam Gokhool, is the ?strengthening of the partnership of the Parent-Teacher Associations, unions, managers and all other stakeholders?. This is seen as one of the best ways of increasing the success rate at school and giving pupils the chance to develop in a healthy and quiet environment. The contribution of parents, through PTAs, is particularly seen by teachers as one of the best ways of achieving good results?
As a former director of the Mauritius Institute of Education and former officer-in-charge of the Private Secondary Schools Authority, Prem Saddul has had the opportunity to attend many PTA meetings. ?While instruction should be provided by schools, education is a responsibility shared by schools and parents. Education includes complementary competencies like affective, social and cultural skills. School can?t assume this function alone and collaboration with parents is largely recognised throughout the world as one of the main conditions for success,? he declared to l?express some time back.
If this contribution by parents is largely done on an individual level at home, it can also be seen on a smaller scale through the PTAs. One of the main purposes of these associations is to bring into a closer relationship the home and the school so that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children.
In fact, schools where PTAs work the best are those where there is a big commitment from parents ? where they feel involved in the education of their children. The PTA is there to make sure parents are made aware of the organisation of the school as well as any changes which may take place.
This involvement of parents in itself can have a positive influence on children because parents become partners in the learning process and are a valuable support system for their child and the school. The exchange of information and ideas between home and school is regular, two-way, and meaningful.
The collaboration may be in terms of a financial partnership but also in terms of organisational skills ? for fancy-fairs for instance ? or simply to bring in more ideas to help make the environment more pleasant for the children, thus leading to better academic performance in the long-term.
Parents become partners in the learning process and are a valuable support for their child and the school. The exchange of information and ideas between home and school is regular, two-way and meaningful.</I>
In such schools, the PTAs really bring additional value to the daily routine of the school, as they take part in specific projects. In those schools, the PTA meets regularly and might be led to take important decisions. The PTA is meant to seek parents? cooperation to implement specific projects or try and find solutions to potential problems children may face at school.
Of course, the financial aspect is quite important, as PTAs tend to contribute to specific projects in schools. They are the ones to look for sponsors or for financial contributions from all parents. This is how some schools have benefited from media libraries, for instance, funded by PTAs.
In fact, the PTA is involved in any activity that could lend support to school life and targets a more efficient collaboration with teachers. The aim is to maintain contacts between the staff and the authorities to create a climate of collaboration and dialogue.
It is however important that PTAs should not try to replace teachers or think they know better than teachers in terms of pedagogy. This should be left to teachers and the school staff in general. The PTA should actually be there as a support to the school and may become a nuisance if parents start interfering too much in the daily running of the school. If teachers are usually happy to see parents involved in the education of their children, they can?t stand it when they become intrusive?
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