Talk to Parents

Communication plays an indispensable role in  learners life. A learner needs to be heard and matters need to be resolved; single way traffic hampers education and turns teaching–learning process into master slave relationship. A learner confronts with multitude of challenges in his life, preferably an academic  one, where he is in dire need of guidance, motivation, doubt clearance, as well as future strategy of ones life.

We need to understand a learner fully especially a teenager as he is curious for different things in life. Not responding to the queries of a learner is equivalent to choking the blood flow. Communication is vital also with parents, not only during august ceremonies like parent's day, mother's day, annual day etc. It must be a continuous process so that a learner is well monitored and his academic process is regularly analysed, not only academic but all activities are regulated, as world is witnessing drug abuse, illicit trafficking, sexual abuse, and suicides.

There is no doubt that govt schools are communicating with parents and learners, but the same is not up to the mark. Absenteeism in schools is a trend and needs to be checked. In govt schools majority of students are from downtrodden sections, and their parents are mostly illiterate and lack resources to help their ward with fully fledged material support. When it is difficult for them to make two ends meet, how can they focus on education.

Here, when parents are not communicated well in time the absenteeism becomes a norm. Unlike that, in Private schools parents are regularly communicated with regarding their ward. Here communication plays a significant role in controlling this evil. As compared to boys, the girl students in schools remain absent from schools and this delight finally results into quitting of studies. In this context parents need to be motivated by communicating with them, as this trend in govt schools continues.

Different centrally sponsored schemes are implemented from time to time by govt like TAALASH SURVEY, NRB, etc., to arrest drop out rate, but this is not achieving targets. Unless and until parents are not mobilized and communication is well maintained things can not improve. Govt schools though conduct seminars and workshops frequently, but parents' meet is seldom conducted.

To increase learning levels  in students especially in remotest areas where even tuition facility is missing, communication with parents is a sin-qua-non for imparting quality education to students of vulnerable sections. Imparting quality education in students belonging to educated families is not appreciable unless and until the same thing penetrates in the lower strata of society, and thereby making inclusive education a successful entity. Thus there is a dire need for enhancing communication levels among parents, learners and teachers.

Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat teaches English at PMSHRI Govt High School Yaroo, Zone D H Pora, KULGAM