Role and Functions of Parents in Education

On November 28, 2015 By Kiran

Category: Blog, Parenting

Introduction: Parents play an important role in the lives of their children. Education
is the key that opens the door to life that is essentially social in character.

Education indicates a degree of sophistication. Formal education is an important

vehicle of socialization.

Nowadays, parents send their children to schools and nurseries even in their
infancy. School, thus, becomes a bridge between the family and the larger outside
world. However, it should be kept in mind that school-teachers cannot substitute the
parents.

The educational functions of parents consist selection of proper schools for their
children, getting them enrolled, meeting teachers, helping them in their home-task,
planning for their education, seeing their progress, attending the school functions
etc. Their planning in this respect is effected by their educational aspirations for
their sons and daughters.

Interest in childrens admission and home-task: The most important function of ideal
parents is admitting their children in schools and colleges and helping them in their
home-tasks. They should oversee the homework given to their child and should
assist him in performing it.

Interest in childrens progress in the school: Fulfillment of the educational

aspirations of the parents for their children depends upon their active participation
in childrens education. The parents should know the progress of their child and
diagnosis of the teacher in relation to the school development. More the parents
learn about their child in his life away from home, the better they will be able to
help him adjust to that life. The school progress report gives the parents a picture of
their child his progress in studies, his behaviors, his attendance, and his teachers
opinion about him.
Contact with teachers: Ideal parent is not only satisfied with sending their child to
the school but also makes close observation of his school life. They make the
informal and causal day-to-day contacts with the school and teachers.

Participation in school function: In well-organized institutions, the children are

inspired in good number to participate in school functions and sports. It is a natural
desire of a child to exhibit his talents to his parents and to others. Principals invite
the parents of the children on these occasions. The visits of parents on the one hand
inspire and cheer the children, on the other they become the basis for group
conferences in which parents with each other and with teachers discuss the
responses and problems of children and arrive at interpretations of development
and solution of different problems.

Participation in childrens recreation: Play is a way of learning, a means of exploring

and mastering the outside world, a natural way of controlling fears and difficult
feelings such as those of anger and hate, which the child dare not express in the
world. It helps a child to develop and master his growing powers.

Communication with children: Every child needs time with each of his parents for a
few minutes every day, uninterrupted by others. As he grows older, these times
alone with each of his parents may be less frequent but none the less important.

Educational aspirations: Along with the general education, vocational and

professional training is also gaining popularity. Liberal tendency is also developing
among parents. Regarding the choice of profession, they would leave the matter at
the will of their sons and daughters.

Conclusion: In modern educated families education of the children is an important

pre-requisite of family organization. Each parent wants to educate his sons and
daughters to enable him or her to achieve higher status and security in their adult
life. Hence, the role of parents is extremely important in a childs educational life.