Parents as Partners in Education: A Global and Local Priority

Parents involvement in a children’s life from the moment they are born till their death holds a significant value and leaves a great impact on their emotional well-being and academic life. Parents are child’s first teachers. Active participation of parents in their children’s academic life helps the student gain support and build trust on them. Students whose parents supervise homework, attending parent teacher meetings and participate in school events tend to show higher grades, better behavior, increased confidence and motivation.

A research conducted by Henderson & Mapp (2002) showed that regardless of economic background, students whose parents are involved in their academics are more likely to achieve higher grades in school and successfully graduate. Parents often get busy in their own schedule and usually ignore their child’s academics but even basic engagement like daily school-related conversations at home can help shape a child’s learning attitude.

Covid-19 helped people in building strong connections with their families. Parents helped their children navigate through online classes. This increased engagement and parents got aware of their children’s academics.

In countries like Finland and Singapore, regular parent-teacher meetings and real-time student progress updates through platforms like Seesaw or Google Classroom are the norm. Unfortunately, the challenge persists in Pakistan. Lower middle class and rural families are often unaware of their child’s academic learning. Neither do they have the digital tools to stay connected nor they are educated enough to understand the curriculum. However, organizations like The Citizens Foundation (TCF) have addressed this by offering parent engagement programs, literacy classes, and regular parent-teacher interaction to bridge this gap.

It is important that Parent Education Workshops are conducted to promote academic support and discipline. Usage of low cost digital tools like Whatsapp messages and SMS updates should be highly encouraged so that involvement of majority of the parents is acknowledged regardless of their socio-economic background.

When the schools and parents collaborate, they take the future of the nation in their hands. This relationship builds resilience, enhances motivation, and ensures a more holistic learning journey.

Author : Alina Amir