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Parents’ role in school Campus Notes
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Parents’ role in school For long, educationists and policy planners have been advocating for our schools to be child friendly. However, there is another equally significant aspect regarding the working of our schools that is seldom spoken about—schools should be parent friendly, too. Most of the schools will fail miserably, if tested on this account. So, what is being parent friendly? It is not demanding lesser fees or more facilities or that the parents be treated specially but recognising the need of the parents to breathe easy while raising children and trying to give them a quality
education. Most of the schools make parents feel as if they have done something wrong. Today, parents seeking admission of their wards to various classes are seen as beggars. Every other day we read news reports about the highhandedness of school authorities. Most of the school managements are whimsical, arrogant and have archaic and rigid rules. There is no transparency regarding management, its members, admissions, recruitments and qualifications of teachers, fee structure, awards, decision-making process, etc. This way schools maintain their arbitrary workings. God save the parent who wishes to know about these aspects. The parents and their kids are subjected to different kind of emotional tortures. These things are rarely reported because parents are vulnerable targets as they are ready to suffer for the welfare of their children. Instead of raising their voice and taking stand, they prefer to keep quiet and suffer. I know of a school principal who takes pride in turning the poor parents to tear for such small faults as rushing to the school to hand over the lunch-box to the child who has by mistake left it at home. In a much-sought-after school in Chandigarh, the staff are rude, they misbehave with parents and don’t show even the basic civil courtesy towards them. This speaks a lot about the prevailing culture of snobbish negativity in the institute. What type of education a child will get in such atmosphere is another issue. To meet a principal of even an ordinary school, a parent has to pass through a security check. One has to divulge all the personal details, reason for appointment, etc. before he is allowed to meet with the vice-principal, who then clears the ultimate meeting. Some schools impose heavy penalty in cash for trifle reasons. Parents are seen as culprits bent upon thwarting the school hierarchy. A school charges Rs 100 per day fine for late deposition of fee which cannot be waived even if there is a valid reason such as death or accident in the family. Some schools refuse to refund the security money if the original receipt is lost. Annual functions and celebration of special days have become pretexts for harassment of parents. Are these rules there to improve the child’s intellect or to punish the parents? In fact, the schools can help ease the parents’ burden of raising the child by having parent-friendly procedures, timings, workings, etc. They can involve parents in decision-making, take regular feedbacks about the working of the school, invite their suggestions and recommendations and implement them if these are really good. Schools can use parents’ expertise in giving exposure to their students regarding different careers and professions. Parents should be seen as assets and human resources. Qualified and interested parents can be called in as substitute teachers, resource persons. There can be joint workshops, discussion forums with school authorities and parents to mutually learn from each other, the focus being child’s all round development. In such a scenario, the emphasis would be on establishing and maintaining a bond of goodwill with the parents, which will in turn create a joyous learning environment in the school. Had American President Abraham Lincoln written that famous letter to his son’s teacher working in one of these parent-unfriendly schools, he would have got a rebuke from the school authorities. As parents, we do not ask for much. We only want to be equal and respected partners in sculpting our children’s personalities, which will only make the school’s work easier and more in tune with
social expectations. The writer is Deputy Director, Academic Staff College, Panjab
University, Chandigarh
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Campus Notes The MDU authorities have launched several new study programmes in the university teaching departments from the current academic session. According to official sources, the courses being introduced from the academic session 2008-09 include an integrated five-year M.Com (Honours) course, a PG diploma in retail management, integrated five-year MBA course, BBA in hospitality management, integrated five-year M.Sc (Economics), M.Pharma in pharmaceutical chemistry, diploma in remote sensing, M.Phil in journalism and mass communication, master of journalism and mass communication, M.Phil in vocal as well as instrumental music, three-year diploma course in dance, integrated five-year M.Sc (Honours) in mathematics and a BSc (Honours) degree course in chemistry. A three-year degree course named Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication was also approved by the council. However, the senior faculty members and other university officials are apprehensive regarding the provision for adequate faculty members and infrastructure to run these courses. The degree of response these courses evoke from students remains another cause for concern. It may be pertinent to mention here that the previous MDU Vice-Chancellor, Prof R. S. Dhankar, had also started quite a few new courses during his tenure. These included degree courses in engineering and technology. However, there was neither adequate infrastructure, nor faculty members. Eventually, the engineering courses were started in the Directorate of Distance Education building with the help of “arranged” faculty. The university suffers an acute shortage of teachers in other teaching departments as well. Thus, in view of the prevailing situation, the apprehensions of the MDU functionaries seem justified.
Dr Harish is Director PR
The MDU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ram Phal Hooda, has given the additional responsibility of the Director (Public Relations) of the university to Dr Harish Kumar, Head, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, at the university. Dr Rashmi Malik, English spokesperson at the Department of Engineering and Technology at MDU, has been given the additional charge of Public Relations Officer of the university.
According to an official statement issued by the university authorities, the orders to this effect have come into force with immediate effect. — Contributed by Sunit Dhawan
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Arts Performing
Civil Services
Engineering
Scholarships
Teaching & Education
University
Pervin Malhotra, Director, Career
Guidance India (CARING)
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