Cape Town - The active involvement of parents or guardians in their children’s education is one of the most effective ways to eliminate the ill-discipline of pupils in our schools.
There is no doubt teachers are battling to deal with the bad behaviour of pupils, due to reported cases of violence in schools in which the lives of teachers and fellow pupils have been threatened.
The dramatic rise in indisciplined acts by pupils has raised concerns about the safety of the school population.
Several incidents of violence perpetrated by pupils have been reported in the media in recent months, including instances in KwaZulu-Natal where pupils torched a school because they were denied certain privileges.
According to the SA Journal of Education, ill-discipline is a serious problem in schools. In some cases, pupils are alleged to have committed murder.
While the decision to do away with corporal punishment was a progressive move, the failure by the government to devise effective disciplinary mechanisms has left frustrated teachers to fend for themselves.
It is true that schools are a microcosm of society. It would, therefore, be naive to expect the violence engulfing our society not to be an issue in our educational institutions. However, this doesn’t mean stakeholders in education should throw up their hands and admit defeat.
We believe the involvement of parents or guardians in the education of their children can go a long way in reducing bad behaviour in our schools.
This is not to suggest that parental involvement is a panacea for fixing all the safety issues facing our schools. It is by no means a magic pill. However, there is enough scholarly research to suggest that in instances where parents take an interest in the education of their children, positive educational outcomes are achieved.
Parents have to stop outsourcing the process of instilling discipline in their children. The simple act of checking your child’s homework or learning material sends a message that you take his or her education seriously. Parents must attend meetings called by the school to discuss pupils’ academic progress.
The community should regard schools as assets and centres of excellence that should be protected, nurtured and developed.
All these measures combined could go a long way in restoring discipline and order in our schooling system.
Cape Times