Parents urged to keep learning going at home
Published:Monday | September 2, 2024 | 12:15 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
As the new school year commences, Kaysia Kerr, chief executive officer at the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC), is urging parents to educate themselves about their children’s curriculum so that they can assist them in achieving their learning outcomes and not rely solely on the schools.
“It’s important that parents know and understand what the curriculum is saying and what the objectives are because learning ought to be continuing at home. Learning doesn’t stop at 2:30 when school ends.
“So there has to be the kind of support mechanism in the home for the child to continue learning, and the only way a parent will be able to monitor this kind of learning is if the parent, him or her, knows what the curriculum is saying and has read it,” Kerr said.
With the curriculum being readily available on the Ministry of Education’s website, Kerr said every parent should visit and peruse the document to see what the expectations are at each level to identify the gaps in the child’s learning and to inform the teachers so that those shortcomings can be addressed.
Kerr is also encouraging parents to attend their children’s orientation this week and to capitalise on the opportunities that are presented.
She emphasised the importance of parents engaging with teachers during these sessions to understand the National Standards Curriculum, expectations, and their child’s learning profile.
“So they should meet as many of the teachers as they possibly can. If their children are transitioning to high school, they should ask about the National Standards Curriculum and ask what their children should be learning in key subjects, the core subjects like mathematics,” Kerr said.
The NPSC head said it is vital for parents to know what the learning expectations are for the upcoming school year to better track their child’s progress.
Parents are further advised to discuss any concerns and seek additional support if needed.
Prepare for emergencies
Noting that schools are in the midst of the hurricane season, which has promised to be very active, and that some students may still be feeling concerned, having experienced Hurricane Beryl in July, Kerr enjoined parents to prepare their children for any eventuality and disruption in learning.
“We are also sensitive now to earthquakes. You want to be talking to your children and the school in general about what preparations there are to accommodate children should we have an unfortunate disaster,” she added.
She said she was aware that schools have been doing earthquake drills and have been sensitising the children to the possibility of a disaster.
To the school administrators, Kerr asked that they implement improvement plans, follow the curriculum, and foster parental involvement through the different channels so that parents feel a part of the process, and also communicate with their respective regions.
Meanwhile, Rochina Anderson, president of the Jamaica Association of Guidance Counsellors in Education, is imploring administrators, students, teachers, and parents to support guidance counsellors in carrying out their mandate as they are crucial to the guidance and counselling success.
She urged teachers to be patient with the students and to be cognisant that change does not happen overnight.
“Believe in the children you serve, hope for the best, and make the required written referrals to the guidance counsellor for observation of behaviours that are a cause for concern,” she said.
Parents, on the other hand, are encouraged to brace for changes in their child/children as they transition from one developmental stage to the next and from one level of education to the next.
“Pay attention to what your child is being exposed to, and beware of the people they are interacting with. Be open-minded and willing to learn. Stay in the know of what is trending and the challenges your child might be experiencing,” she said.
As for the principal, Anderson asked that they not only support the work of the guidance counsellor, but also understand and appreciate the counsellor’s role to yield greater results, including the overall goal of the School Improvement Plan.