The International Day of Families was celebrated on May 15. It seems to have passed us by with not much funfare. So it was good to note that family and friends of residents of Pearce Home gathered to celebrate the special day in Suva yesterday.
Staff, management and 10 residents were dressed in matching T-shirts as they welcomed their visitors with a candle dance and speeches. Pearce Home trust chairman Mohammed Hassan Khan said the day was significant as residents were able to connect with their families.
In saying that, we reflect on a message delivered back in 2017 on this special day. Former Minister for Women, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa raised an important point, about parental involvement being one of the most overlooked aspects of education.
Marking the day at St Theresa College in Bemana, Nadroga that year, she said families should take care of each other to make communities stronger. Many parents, she noted, did not realise how important it was to get involved in their children’s learning.
Parents and family members, she pointed out, should try to find the time and make the effort because research showed that when families got involved, their children got better grades and test scores; graduate from high school at higher rates; were more likely to go on to higher education; and were better behaved and had more positive attitudes.
Family involvement, she said, was one of the best investments a family could make. Education has the potential to help families get out of poverty. Surely there would be surveys that point positively to parental guidance playing a key role in education.
It makes sense then that there may even be studies showing a more structured involvement of parents, assisting in developing children’s appreciation of education. We should be talking about ways for parents to be involved in the education of their children.
If we are to suggest there is a need for parents to be involved, then perhaps we could throw in the line that there should be suggestions on how this should actually happen. Perhaps schools could focus on finding creative ways to involve parents in the education of their children.
Let’s talk about ways to effectively develop an environment for children that is conducive to improving their education. How can parents inculcate in their children, the value and importance of education and why they must prioritise it?
Surely most parents have the vital ingredients needed for this very important assignment! Time and patience! Surely we can find the time to remind our children to do their homework, ask them whether they understand their assignments, and just show more interest and attention on how they are doing in school.
We can all strongly influence how our children grow up and appreciate things around them. Surely we want our children to be the best they can be. We want them to get the best possible start in life and grow up to be independent and prepared for the future as adults.
To that end, we all have a role to play!
