Are we giving enough?

We expect today’s children to hit their potentials at all times. Such targets are baffling, so much so that we need to take a step back and remind ourselves what we’re asking of such young minds. With an average of 25-30 pupils in a state school class, is it really plausible for a teacher to deliver a level of in-depth tutoring that will be adequate for each child’s potential? And, if this level of individual teaching is not met, which in reality it can never be…

…Where are these children supposed to go for extra support?

We could suggest a classmate, a support teacher, or possibly someone in the comforts of their own home, yet asking a parent for help with school work is quickly becoming the last thing a child will do. This leads us to ask:

Are parents leaving their responsibilities at the school gates?

It would be unfair to say generically that the average parent leaves their child’s education up to the government, however it is reasonable to propose that the options available for parents are regularly ignored. Recent research supports the idea that instead of waiting for a child to ask for help, a parent should, and now can already be there, taking those necessary steps with their child in order for them to reach their highest potentials.

But how?

Parents now have the option of taking their children to family literacy centres, where they can build and learn together. If they wanted to get more involved they could join a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) or a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) where they can have an input into their child’s educational service. Even simple time planning is encouraged, in which both the parent and the child can set aside time to work on possible weaknesses.

Still, we all seem a little apprehensive in becoming too involved in the classroom. Surely there is no such thing? Nevertheless, reports show that kids find parental interference embarrassing and this holds some parents back. (If we’re being honest, would any of us have welcomed our parents with open arms into the classroom, even if now with hindsight, it would have helped?)

So, are we therefore able to rest with the notion that the kids of today will work things out themselves or do we want more for them?