Parents blamed for poor results
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Tuesday March 8, 2016 14:58
According to some observers, it is not the ministry that is to blame, but the parents. They believe parents are increasingly becoming irresponsible, a trend that has contributed to the failure of students and deterioration of education in the country.
Speaking at a multi-cultural day last week, chairperson of Ntlo ya Dikgosi, Puso Gaborone said these days some parents do not impart good values to their children unlike in the past. He explained that lack of discipline as a result of poor parenting skills fuels poor performance among students.
He said that teachers cannot solely teach students how to behave because they also have to contend with teaching, which is their core duty. Gaborone further noted that parents should monitor the booming social media, as there is greater evidence that some students do not use it effectively, which subsequently leads to their failure.
“Parents should also review the money they give to students. Students are given loads of cash, which to some extent disturbs them,” he said. Donga Customary President, Harmony Moyo said that some parents are so overprotective of their children to an extent that they will not discipline them when they are out of order. He said that when the children increasingly become disorderly it disrupts them from learning. “In some instances overprotective parents have scolded teachers who attempted to discipline students. This makes it difficult for teachers to enforce discipline on students,” he said. The former minister of education, Kebatlamang Morake said that parents of today are not actively involved in the education of their children.
“Parents should not only be reduced to the role of taking reports of their children at the end of each school term. They should regularly interact with teachers and other stakeholders involved in their children’s learning to improve results.”