BEYOND PAYING SCHOOL FEES

BEYOND PAYING SCHOOL FEES

To everything and everyone there’s a season. And to every parent in this month of school resumption , this is a season of payment of school fees. So it is a season where parents stick it all out to ensure the prompt payment of their wards’ school fees regardless of the effects of the nation’s economic indices. Kudos to fellow parents. Please don’t give up facing the fear. The reward is worth the while after all. Wait for it. It shall surely come

As important, imperative and indispensable paying kids school fees is, I believe we know as well that the the sustaining and enduring pillar to whatever benefit this financial obligation would bring is not an independent varibale of other factors, especially our quality engagement we need to have with their school. Hence beyond paying school fees there are other major obligations expected of us as parents to compliment whatever the financial obligation expected of us.

One of the models of parenting obligation is obligation by demand which derives its effectiveness in our readiness in responding to the need of the demands. So in this case, there’s a demand to pay school fees and there should be a need on parents to know why they do so.

As a great parent who is concerned in raising his/her wards for a better future, it is pertinent that you do more on in the education of your child than paying school fees. We must understand and recognize that every generation is peculiar so every child is. Our today’s children more than any generation before them need to be followed through both in their academics and extra curricular activities because of the need to raise and prepare them for the future.

Please permit me to mention few line of activities we must embrace in this academic term inorder to compliment the efforts of the school

I start with the conventional engagement with the school- Parents Teachers Forum (PTF) , open day, career day, end of session collection of kids report sheet, and all. All these aappointments are hitherto called at the instance of the schools. Parents hardly call for one.

Ever wondered when at the end of every term some of us Parents seem to be ignorant of our kids results. Our expectations of their educational and behavioural performances can never be met on the strenght of just ‘pay school fees and go’ posture. But the school is cool with your kids performance because they set the agenda of the meetings and they are in the know. Imagine if all these meetings are called at the requests of the parents? How positive impact will this be on parents, kids and schools?

To solve this mystery it then behoves on us as parents that we must have expectations of our kids performances at the beginning of each academic session. It is not even enough to dwell mainly on communication book as an interactive medium between schools and parents but parents must as a matter of serious concern open a special communication line and begin to communicate their intentions and expectations of their kids to the schools, the teachers, or the school counsellors

Out of the nine types of intelligence available for children, perhaps the only one obviously known to and grossly abused by some parents is academic intelligence. And when children are not functioning or noticed in this, and they failed to win awards at the end of term, such children are given bad names by us. This is allowed mainly on account of the deficient structure of the system of the world that has considered them second class students. What a discerning parent should do in this regard is to identify the particular gifting of intelligence for the child(ren) and seek the school’s support in building them. Schools have experts in these special areas. Engage them.

Part of your responsibilities beyond paying school fees is to have a structured time table with the school inoder to meaningfully engage them in a robust time to time mindset gathering towards achieving the best for your children. We do not have to wait till the midterm or end of term to figure out what has not been done or what has been wrongly executed in the life of the child before we fix it.

How about writing letter to the school at the beginning of the term detailing few background information concerning the strengths and weaknesses of the child with a view to striking a partnership deal with the teacher on what to expect of the child and finding a way to build on the strengths and work on his/her weaknesses. The aim is to bring out the best out of the child

Registering a child in a school without letting the school or the teacher know the relational/behavioural tendency of the child is like giving out a product without the product manual. Then mismanagement beckons from both parents and the school. School will only do as much as they know of the child. How conversant are we with their temperament?

No product comes out from the manufacturer without a working manual! Every child needs a manual from parents for schools to work with.

So instead of us parents pointing fingers on what schools are not doing right what are we doing right in helping the schools to serve us better? We must first of all start and finish our job on the child before we demand same of the school. Beyond paying school fees is making the school know your concerns about your children at every critical stage of their lives. We increase in age every year. Every new year is a transiting year for our kids and they are new to the biological, phyiscial , and behavioural growth needed at that moment. No kids must be left adrift at this critical stage of transition. This must be communicated to the school not in fear but in wisdom.

Another vital area I’d love parents to develop interest in is how well do we understand the underlying driving educational philosophy behind your kids school? We’d hardly get the best of our kids if we are ignorant of this. What this does is to form a measurable alignment with our individual home philosophy so that we can be on the same page with the school and ultimately offer a corresponding positive reinforcements and feedback. It also reduces the blindspot in service delivery for us as agents of socialization.

Parents, this is our duty. We must not dogmatically do them out of sheer responsibility but by obligation laced with values. Of the four agents of socialization of the child, the school and the family play indispensable role in caring, nurturing, and grooming the kids to grow up to become adjusted adults. This is the truth we must defend, dear parents.

God bless you

Akinropo Akinola
Parenting Development Expert is the CEO, Parenmark School of Parenting

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