Educationist calls for more collaboration between parents and teachers

A Senior Lecture and Head of Department of Early Childhood Education at the University of Education Winneba, Dr. Michael Subbey has called on parents to collaborate more with teachers to ensure that their wards get quality education to prepare them for the future.

According to Dr. Subbey, parents have a sacrificial role to play in ensuring quality education of the child adding that quality education starts from home; the upbringing of the child, while the teacher modifies and builds upon the already formed character of the child from home.

“Children can only have quality education, when parents, the foremost, and the entire society collaborate with the school in educating the child”, he stressed.

Dr. Subbey, who made the call at the third graduation ceremony of Mends Academy in Accra over the weekend, was speaking on the theme Quality Education: the best legacy parents can leave their wards’.

He explained that when parents collaborate with teachers, they will get to know and appreciate the fact that, from the complimentary role of formal education, the teacher has a daunting task in ensuring holistic education of the child, judging from the magnitude of developmental domains that the teacher ought to work on.

He noted that parents who truly want to pass on to their children, the best legacy (quality education), must dedicate themselves to giving it.

“If parents can give their all to the education of their children, social vices and delinquent behaviour will be to the barest minimum, if not entirely eradicated from our society” he emphasized.

He said, apart from laying the initial foundation at home, parents must collaborate with teachers in building upon the foundation.

“Parents must pay regular visits to schools, participate in Parent Teacher Association (PTA) activities and make sure they monitor the child’s school activities such as homework and other assignments taken home by these precious children”.

He noted that quality education is a life-long investment which when given well, and with self-determination, will give a child all the physical legacies that he/she may never have as a child.

He added that when the child’s developmental domains (social, cognitive, physical and emotional or psychological) are formally and informally attended to, the child develops holistically.

“Though these core competencies are embedded in the school curriculum, a closer look at them will let you arrive at the fact that, children can only achieve them, when parents, the foremost, and the entire society collaborate with the school in educating the child,” he stressed.

The Director of the School, Paul Mends, also reiterated the need for parents to give their children quality education to prepare their wards for the future.
He observed that Africa and particularly Ghana is struggling because parents, in past, have refused to properly train children to be responsible enough to manage themselves and the continent as a whole.

“Education should be the number one priority of parents if we want our children to succeed” he underscored.

He further advised parents and well-meaning individuals to support education institutions to set up scholarship funds to help needy but brilliant students to access quality education.

In that regard he announced that the overall best student of Mends Academy will be awarded with a full year scholarship.

Edna Micah Mends was adjudged the overall best student. However, the scholarship package went to Felix Nyani who was the second runner up because Edna was already on a scholarship.

The special guest of Honour, Nana Benpu II Aburi Ankobea Hene who presented a cheque of GHc1,000 to support the scholarship fund, expressed delight of the achievements of the school and prayed for more laurels.