Parental influence has been identified as an important factor affecting the student’s achievement. The parents are regarded as the first teachers to their children; they play a vital role in guiding and bringing up their children. So, their involvement in the education of their children begins at home with providing a safe and healthy environment, appropriate learning experiences, support, and a positive attitude about school. Studies indicate that increased academic achievements of students is proportional to the involvement of parents. This is to say, parental involvement would be most effective when viewed as a partnership between educators and parents.
The school also plays a key role in the academic success of the students, it is a place where knowledge and morals are imparted, so the school should be an inviting and welcoming place for the parents to become involved. A school is oftentimes the focal point of a community and it is the school’s job to provide opportunities for parents to become more involved.
In order to do so, schools must communicate in a positive way to get parents engaged with the school, so the parents feel part of the school community. Parental involvement in school establishes a better reputation for the school within the community which leads to better community support, and the development of more school programs within the school.
However, today’s parents are often preoccupied with the distractions and demands of daily life. Burdened by low-income, inflexible work hours and language barriers, some parents are unable to attend school activities or participate in the schooling of their children on a regular basis.
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Cultural norms, insufficient financial resources, and lack of educational attainment are also barriers to parental involvement in school. It is also worthy of note that many parents suffer from low self-esteem and others did not experience success in school themselves and therefore lack the knowledge and confidence to help their children. Parents who did not experience success in school or did not even attend school may view it negatively, they may be intimidated by the language, the curriculum, and the staff.
It is advisable that educational stakeholders should work towards ensuring strong synergy between school, teachers and parents. This will help them work on subsidizing learning materials such that they become affordable since learning cannot take place effectively without them.
Nafeesat Salis is a staff of Abdul Standard Academy, Rigasa, Kaduna
