PERSPECTIVES OF STUDENTS TO PARENTS ATTENDING TO SCHOOL

Alastre, Lenney Vie; Alastre, Quenny Vie;

Role, Cecille; Tenorio, Rian May (BSEd-III English)

“Parenting and going to school on top of being a parent and worker can
be quite stressful. Juggling job and family is tough enough. Yet there's a
sizable group of moms and dads trying to balance yet another demand:
college.” This matter is one of the concerns of Marsha Padwa, a psychology
instructor at the Harvard Medical School. This only proves that going to
school and parenting at the same time is uneasy thing to do. It’s permanent
and whole-time job to parents especially for single parents. Being a parent
and being a student attending school is very demanding. The most
significant things parents in school concerns with are money, time
management and discovering good-quality childcare. Managing their jobs,
children and school can be challenging, but as parents they have no choice
especially for working parents. The only way to understand them is to
understand the situation that they are in.
Sara Graham, a program director for TRIO- Student Support Services,
stated that “Studying and taking care of children is not the only thing they
do in their life. Parents always have to plan what they’re going to do first in
the morning before they come to school or go to work, which is very
important, but it’s not easy for the parents.” This statement was supported
by Curtis Bickham. He mentioned that according to his previous experiences,
parents in school have a lot of problems with time management because of
the children and school.”
Indeed, parents in college have really encountered problems with time.
Because taking care of children and at the same time studying is not the only
thing that they have to do. Parents first time in the morning always have to
plan what they’re going to do at home before they come to school or go to
work. To which it is very important, but it’s not easy for them. Their situation
is not the same for all the parents attending school. But there are some
student-parent that have support from their family, neighbors or close
friends that help them monetarily or can take care of their child or children
when they are at school.
To extend education or not, to parents is a helpful and problematic
option. According to other previous experiences, parents attending school is
an open-minded persons who really have the passion for learning and have
the sense to be educated person someday. While other parents in school
have a lot of problems with time management because of the children and
school. Parents in school especially in college are serious enough to study
and learn even if it is hard for them at many times. They are mature enough
to understand how valuable education is.

The concept of parenting is the process or the state of being a parent.

Once you have a child you are involved in the process of parenting. However,
it is not that simple, according to Morrison, “Parenting is the process of
developing and utilizing the knowledge and skills appropriate to planning for
creating, giving birth to, rearing and providing care for offspring.” This
definition implies that parent starts when there is a plan for it and it involves
not just bringing up the children but also providing care for them.

A CPCC Family Resource Center coordinator, Linda Jones, also

expressed her thoughts about this matter and said, “It’s not an easy thing to
be a parent and a student at the same time.” She further explained that she
had a choice, to extend her education or become part of the system of
welfare which she feel is not a productive option. This only implies that being
a parent is really not that easy and it requires readiness for you to become
good parents. On the other hand, education is the process of acquiring
knowledge for becoming skillful that leads to being productive individuals
sustaining all the needs of yourself, family and also the society. Once
philosopher said, “Education is the greatest equalizer.” It only means that all
of us are educated. This world would be a better place to live in. Everyone
could find stable jobs and parents would probably have foods to eat on their
table. They could be able to send their children to school.

Student-parent success initiative, as for many college students today

are used to be considered “non-traditional.” Working adults who often have
family care and responsibilities. IWPR’s research shows that 26 percent of
undergraduate college students have children. To substantially improve rates
of post-secondary credential attainment, which is crucial to increasing access
to good jobs. Colleges must recognize the need for support and tailor them.

With regards to this issue, recent IWPR research shows that the
number of students with children on campus has been steadily increasing.
The number of campuses with child care supports are declined. The above
statement only shows that our student-parent has the capability to enter
schools despite of their responsibilities being a parent. So this research was
conducted not only for the sake of student-parents and their fellow students
but also for the school administrations to become aware for the situation
faced by the subject. To support this, of course if you are both student and
parent you need more efforts and time to fulfill every duties on your
shoulder.

This study is concentrated on the perspectives of students of Mindoro

State College of Agriculture and Technology Main Campus to parents
attending to school. And to assess the effectiveness of this study with regard
to the viewpoints and insights of other students to student-parents
specifically developing their sense of care, love and support as students
learning just like them. First, it aims to determine the perspectives of
students of MinSCAT-Main Campus to parents attending to school.
Specifically, it sought to know the insights of students to parenthood in terms
of being a student and being a parent. Also, the relationship of parents to
their fellow students in terms of communication, time management,
involvement in educational activities.
 If and then, after all the research the following are expected that the
students do not consider parenthood as a hindrance to education as long as
they are not affecting others. Students do not care whether their classmate
is a parent or not, as long as they get involved with educational activities
inside the classrooms and outside the school. Students see parenthood as a
problem since student-parent divide their time being a student and being a
parent as well. Students do not have long conversation and bonding with the
others during free time because they tend to check their children their
vacant time.

Undeniably, parenting and going to school on top of being a parent and

a student can be quite knotty. Managing job and family and other stuffs are
stressful. Yet there's a substantial group of parents trying to balance their
works in life, yet another demand of attending school.

METHODOLOGY

The study will employ the survey research method and participation
observation method. The Survey method is the technique of gathering data
by asking questions to people who are thought to have desired information.
A formal list of questionnaire is prepared. Generally a non-disguised
approach is used. The respondents are asked questions on their demographic
interest opinion.

Participant observation is one type of data collection method typically

used in qualitative research. It is a widely used methodology in many
disciplines, particularly cultural anthropology,
European ethnology, sociology, communication studies, human
geography and social psychology. Its aim is to gain a close and intimate
familiarity with a given group of individuals (such as a religious,
occupational, sub cultural group, or a particular community) and their
practices through an intensive involvement with people in their cultural
environment, usually over an extended period of time. In participant
observation the observer participates in ongoing activities and records
observations. Participant observation extends beyond naturalistic
observation because the observer is a "player" in the action. The technique
is used in many studies in Anthropology and Sociology.
The researchers will gather first, the sources of data information and
observations. For the survey method, there are questionnaires that will be
given to every respondent. There are also series of observation for the
respondents and for the researchers to determine how they will respond on
the different situations with regards to many activities of the student-parent
attending school.

References:

https://www.cpcc.edu/spark/archives/parents-in-college-must-juggle-
responsibilities

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2014/10/15/create-
a-plan-for-success-as-a-single-parent-in-college

https://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/student-parents-guide/