The Crucial Role of Parents in Education
Parents play a major role in the education of their children. This is because children tend to listen to the instruction of their parents and are usually motivated by what they see their parents doing. In most countries where education is not free, the parents play the role of sponsor as they pay their children’s tuition fees. This is a major role because if not for that, the students are unable to attend classes and usually stay at home.
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Melisa P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Parent as a Teacher
In some households where one of the parents is a stay-at-home parent, that parent may play the role of teacher. Over the years this role has usually been played by the mother but in the modern-day household, stay-at-home husbands can also play this role while the mother goes to work.
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Parents also help the children with homework (the role of tutor)
This is a very important thing because the parents make sure the homework is done and monitor the progress of the child at home. Some schools require the parent to sign for the homework which ensures that the homework is done otherwise the school would have to contact the parents for an explanation as to why the homework is done.
The parent also plays the role of disciplinarian
This role is important because sometimes the school cannot do certain things when reprimanding the student and only the parent can. In some schools, especially in Africa, corporal punishment is allowed, however, the parents might not want anyone causing physical pain to their children and therefore they offer to discipline their children using their own methods.
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The parents must create a positive environment that is conducive to learning
An important way in which parents provide this is by providing basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, study materials, stationery, etc ( it is proven that the child learns better when they are in a positive environment!)
Another crucial role played by the parent in creating this environment that is perfect for a learning student is the role of cheerleader
Parents do this by affirming positive things with the child every morning before school, praising the child when they do good, making sure not to be discouraging to the child (encouraging the child to explore the endless possibilities that life has to offer) and also encouraging the child to partake in other activities outside the classroom like sports and different clubs offered in the school or even outside the school (private coaching) if the parents can afford them.
Parents also help children to think critically
This means that the children don’t just think inside the box and take whatever is given to them but they are also able to think outside the box and make their own decisions based on their own interests. Parents do this by exposing the child to certain books, films, magazine articles, and even music! This takes the child out of their comfort zone and helps them discover the things they like and are talented in, for example, art, singing or playing an instrument, poetry, etc.
Also Read: 3 Things That Motivate Students and How You Can Apply Them To Your Teaching
Children also look up to their parents as mentors
In my case, both my parents are medical doctors and I always looked up to them and always wished to be like them which led me to study medicine too.
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Finally, parents offer emotional support to the children. When the child has had a bad day at school, they can always go to their mother or father to vent and cry if they have to. This helps the child to get mentally refreshed and gain the ability to face another day in school. When the child loses courage, the parent can always be a shoulder to lean on and someone they can always count on to have their back and encourage then. When the child does not understand what has been taught in class, they can always go home and ask their parents to explain, which helps the child to learn better.
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