One aspect of education that can be both a positive and a negative is parents. Parents can be a true asset to teachers and to children. Unfortunately parents can also be a great interference of a child’s physical and mental growth.
Often times we end up blaming the child or punishing the child for things that are actually the parent’s fault. However it is much more difficult for schools or teachers to punish parents.
One such occurrence that I can think of is tardiness and absenteeism from school. Elementary school students typically have no control over when and if they come to school. It is the parent’s responsibility to wake them up and ensure that they get to school.
Whether the parent must make sure that he child gets on the bus or ensure that he or she leaves the house in enough time for the child not to be late, it is the parent’s job.
However when children are repeatedly late or absent, they usually receive some form of punishment. Some teachers make the children stay in from play time to make up work that was missed. Some schools make the children stay after school and make up work or do extra work for missing school.
Some schools feel that parents also suffer when their children have to stay after school. They feel that the parents are being punished by having to come and pick up their children rather than the children riding the bus home. However I think that some parents benefit because they look at the after school time as free babysitting for an extended amount of time.
It is true that chronic absenteeism and tardiness can result in parents being sent to court. However it usually must be a very serious problem before this occurs.
So how should parents be held responsible for ensuring that their children are at school on time?