Parents need to understand that raising well-behaved children requires a deep understanding of how their children’s behaviour is related to theirs

A teacher is someone venerated for guiding students, shaping their personality, imparting moral values and transforming their life. Parents teach a lot of things to their children, so they are the first teachers of kids, and this education reflects in their kids’ behaviour. It’s disheartening to see nowadays that the “first teachers” are failing to inculcate ethical values and morality in their children. Most parents think that textbooks and admission to prestigious schools are enough for making sure their children are well educated, which is why they ignore to teach a normative value system to their children.
It is said that a child’s behaviour can be easily corrected if done at an early age. It is the parents who must do so. What we see today is that when the “first teachers” fail in performing their duties, they expect the “second teachers” from educational institutions to do their part and perform miracles. As they say, “Hum fee kis liye detey hai phir?” (what are we paying fees for, then?) As if they own the whole faculty by just admitting their ward in the school. It proves that some adults are not mature enough to take responsibility for their children. Instead of setting a good example for their children, parents blame their school teachers for not teaching their kids, but as soon as the teacher takes them to task for some misconduct, the same parents make a hue and cry.
Parents need to understand that raising well-behaved children requires a deep understanding of how their children’s behaviour is related to theirs. Therefore, they must teach their children moral values such as respect and discipline. Every parent is responsible for the upbringing of their children, and no one else will do their job. A study by NASUWT (National Association of Schoolmasters/ Union of Women Teachers) concluded that lack of parental support is a major cause of student indiscipline. More than two of three teachers cited the lack of parental support as the most important factor influencing student behaviour.
Teachers are frustrated by the lack of parental support in shaping student behaviour. In fact, some parents do not send their children to school with appropriate learning materials such as books, pencils and pens. Parents must learn to discipline their kids whenever they demonstrate negative behaviour, as some parents never let their youngsters really be answerable for their mistakes and often conceal them. This makes the children think that the act really wasn’t bad.
Having said that, parents really need to introspect. They need to do home schooling simultaneously, by giving clear instructions to their kids on what constitutes acceptable behaviour and the disciplinary consequences of unacceptable behavior.
If parents are still not considered accountable for their kids’ actions, who is to be held responsible then? Teachers these days are crippled professionals nowadays, confined to planting information in their students’ mind.

The writer is a student of Political Science. [email protected]

Tehmeena Yousuf