Importance of workshops and seminars for the parents

There always are pillars to strengthen and support a building,likewise,when we discuss about the school going children,then the parents, teachers and society are automatically perceived as the building blocks or the pillars to support the children and make them stand upright and firmly grounded. The children are considered to be an integral part of the life of  parents and teachers. In this triangle of pious and important relationship children are given the maximum attention. The life of the parents and the teachers revolve around them.  Once the children reach the school they are to be paid maximum attention and that makes the role of the teachers very important. This has also been observed that the teachers and students are taught about the life skills and the role they have to play to exploit their potential to the optimum of their ability. For this purpose many activities are held and they are exposed to a variety of problems and the opportunities to learn the lessons of life. For doing so many conferences, workshops and the seminars are also organized which give the teachers and the students an exposure to learn outside the classrooms. Many learned and experienced personalities are invited to interact with the teachers and the children. They are sent for the educational tours and excursions for first hand experience. In the last few decades, the concept of the counsellors, psychologists and the psychiatrists has increased because of the escalation in the stress level of all concerned. Different boards, specially the central board of secondary education, New Delhi has taken many steps to guide the teachers and the children related to adolescence problems and how to face and solve them. Such programmes are mainly for the teachers and they do get benefitted by this but the problem which I find is that the other important partner of the triangle is almost ignored in this situation. The parents play the most important role in the life of the children but because of the demanding life style in the present age they find themselves wanting help for  their children with regard to certain age relate issues and problems and that is the reason at times they are not able to play their role effectively as expected from them. If we take the example of the recently introduced (by CBSE) continuous and comprehensive evaluation scheme ,then it will be observed that though the teachers and up to some extent the students, were made aware of the changes introduced by organizing workshops,orientation and the training programmes but the parents were not made the part of the same. Though CBSE did try to take the views of the parents but that was mostly done online and the fact which should be recognized and admitted by all concerned is that many parents are not able to take full advantage of the same and that is why most of them could not understand the new evaluation system. This surfaced when the result of class X was declared in the month of May- June 2011 and there were many questions which were asked by many parents . This was just an example and there may be many other areas where the parents are required to be made aware by extending the training programmes for them as well. The individual schools can take an initiative in this regard and that will be a great help to the parents and ultimately to the children. I have come across cases where the parents are not aware of the promotion policy of the boards and in some cases even of the schools. Many parents are not aware of the minimum attendance required to appear in the board examination. The parents find themselves in difficult and awkward position when, at the end of the session they are told that their ward cannot appear in the board examination because of the short attendance. Though the schools have set of rules about which the teachers and the students are told but the parents are left to themselves to be made aware of such rules through the school diaries or website etc. The parents who are already aware of such things pay attention to that and follow the same for the benefit of their children but others remain almost cut off from the school. In some cases, the children also do not help and support their parents to know about these issues. Many schools have the rule that if a child has to remain absent from the school for some genuine reason then the parents should apply for the leave in advance. In case of the sudden sickness the school should be informed through telephone, application or mail so that the teachers know that this child was not well or could not attend the school for some other reason. In case the parents are not able to do so due to some emergency then the child should come to the school with the application from the parents when he/she joins the class after being absent for the number of days. This will ensure that there is complete and proper communication between the parents and the teachers. But unfortunately either due to lack of information or the casual approach this is not followed in many cases. Though we believe our children and have faith in them, but the influence of so many external things may make them to behave in a negative way and if teachers and the parents do not work in tandem, then this might become dangerous for the safety and the security of the children. I always say that the parents and the teachers should  be there to help and correct the children as and when needed. I do not wish to say that they should invade the space of the children, but all efforts should be made so that they are given no space to be driven by negative forces which are always there to take the empty space around them.

For this, the schools and the government bodies should take initiative and provide the parents with latest information and proper guidance so that they can also contribute in the development of their child in an effective manner and do not only remain the source of providing them the facilities and the money . The parents also need guidance and training so that they are able to keep pace with the changing world.  That is why, I feel a strong need and requirement of the workshops and the training programmes for the parents to make them aware of the changing patterns, effective instructional strategies and also foster positive attitude and beliefs about learning and academic success of their wards. Though it may not be easy to begin with, but if given a serious thought and trial, there is no doubt that it will prove to be very beneficial for the parents and the students in particular, and the society at large. It will not only give them the skill to leverage success but also empower them.