This past Saturday (4th August) Umlazi had it’s very first parent’s meeting. It was a bit disapponting to see just 10 parents at the meeting. Most parents called and sms’d saying they can’t make it. This raises the question of weather parents show enough interest in their child’s education. Are they really showing their child that they as parents are there for them.
The meeting was intimate and we got a chance to talk to the willing parents about their children and how much they, as parents, participate in the learners school experience. It seemed to me as though most parents do not really kno whow to help learners feel more confidence and motivation towards school. The big debate is, is it the parents duty to ensure the child is performing well at school or is the sole responsibility of the learner.
Some parents feel that their children are not giving school enough energy and dedication. They see the issue, but are clueless as to how to fix it. They feel that the children need to up their concentration levels and general love for learning. Some parents are commending the work we do though, they see improvements in the childrens academic perfomance already. With only 1 term behind us, it is very fulfilling to know that we already made a difference in some learners lives.
Something must be done to motivate learners. There has to be a way that we as IkamvaYouth can work hand-in-hand with parents to do something about this issue.
Lloyd Lungu