Every parent wishes the best for their children, but many are not willing to put in the effort when it comes to their children’s education. It might seem a little absurd but if we contemplate on the matter, we find that a parent’s role and responsibility extends much further than enrolling their child into a good school.
A parent’s responsibility does not begin and end by attending the parent-teacher meeting and enquiring about their son/daughter’s performance at school; it extends much further. It is a parent’s prime duty to know what is being taught at school, whether their child does homework on time, pays attention in class, etc. This has to be done consistently throughout the year and it takes effort — which sadly many parents are not willing to put in.
At best, parents force their children to join tuition classes, which act as a burden and can prove to be detrimental. Overworking a student is not the answer to achieving excellence in academics. Parents should take time out for their children, go through their books if they have to, and try and explain concepts to their children which are unclear.
Education is about learning, not memorizing. If a student can grasp an idea and write it in his/her own words, then education is being imparted. However, if memorization is being done for the sake of getting marks, then a student’s result on the report card might look good but it will be done without gaining an understanding of the concept at hand, and that is where the child’s education suffers. How much is a student going to memorize and until when?
It was very disturbing for me when a couple of students walked up to me and asked which part of the description on a certain topic they should memorize. When I asked the students if they understood the concept, the answer by either was not in the affirmative. After explaining the idea, I was bewildered on being asked if they could write the definition in their own words. When I told them that they were more than welcome to do so, a smile spread across their faces leaving me feeling buoyant.
Now that we are heading towards the summer vacation, it is crucial to mention that the manner in which it is utilized is of utmost importance. The summer vacation is a great time to study what has been taught in the preceding couple of months and prepare for the remaining academic year.
However, while the students look forward to it as a time to indulge in their hobbies, they must also take a considerable proportion of each day and utilize it to its optimum. Extracurricular activities are a great way to freshen the mind and are fun for the students to indulge in, but priorities must be set in order and given importance accordingly.
Students today should realize how privileged they are. They should not take their education for granted, which is a great blessing and is not available to every child. If students realize that they are indeed very fortunate to be in school, they will try to make better use of their time in class. They should think of underprivileged children who stand at the gates of schools all day long, wondering what it would be like to be in school and wishing they could be in it.