Dr Kakheto Zhimomi
MUST WORK TOGETHER: Educational institutions, especially schools, have an important role to play in molding the personality of a child. The principle of a school should leave an enduring impact in the child’s out look and the choices he/she makes in the later stages of life. But this very objective of school is somewhat getting blurred now and the Syllabus is only confined to the academic requirement of a child and rarely goes beyond.
In Nagaland, even the low syllabus are not taught properly because most of the teachers are not qualified and poorly paid for which they keep on looking for greener pastures. The mushrooming of business-oriented schools are producing half-backed so called educated youth who does not fit into anything and becomes a burden to the society.
For the government schools, whatever the syllabus is low or high, whether the teachers are qualified or not, it does not matter because there is hardly any classes especially in the lower section.
It is necessary for the reputed schools to make project oriented syllabi, which should make children think, explore and discover.
CBSE’s efforts in team building and implanting basic values to a child are laudable. Values should be imparted through morning assembly prayers, through notices in bulletin boards and should also be made part of extra curricular activities.
Under the given challenges, a teacher’s role and responsibilities are many. But having said that, parents are equally responsible for their children. A school can support and reinforce the values, but it cannot be a substitute for parents. Both parents and teachers should work hand in hand and cooperate for the well being of the child.
PARENTS AT THE HELM: Today’s children pay more heed to friends. Media is also playing an important role in the influencing their minds. They pick up information’s from cartoon networks, movie4s and advertisements and demand products without even trying to understand the utility of things. They are so much prone to external pressures that they need proper guidance, a discipline life and a better programmed future. In the initial five years, the parents play an important role, mother is of outmost importance.
In the next few years, teachers, school and friends plays an influencing role. However, this doubles the parents’ responsibilities.
The new-age-parents, thus need to be smarter. They need to be clear about their roles and stay involved with the child. Children face competition and stress is a natural outcome. Only parents can help them bust their blues, help them express their feelings and emotions.
Teachers and other elders can just play a supportive role. Parents should be able to guide the children in selecting books, watching the right kind of TV programs and in making the right of friends. All this lays a value-based foundation for the child.
OARS OF THE SAME BOAT: Our younger generation is full of energy and ideas but they seemed confused. They are with new creative energy, which needs to be rightly channelised. Value educational system should also be turn into interactive spiritual system. In this era of globalization, a child is highly vulnerable to moral degradation. He cannot be rescued without the joint effort of both the parents and the teachers. But parents stand supreme.
The communication gap should be taken care of by becoming more forthcoming to receive view points and ideas of the children. Both parents and teachers are like the two oars of the same boat, each oar distinct and equally important.
