PARENTS’ CRUCIAL ROLE IN IMPROVING SCHOOL EXPERIENCE
Ümmühan Seçil INAN
University of Muş Alparslan
Pre-school Teaching, Faculty of Education
“No one is more important than parents in sending the signal that reading and education matter and that school work is not a form of drudgery but a ticket to a better life . . . By giving their word to read to their children, to assist on homework, to engage the process of learning, parents can set an example for their children that is powerful and positive.” - Former California Governor Gray Davis, State of the State, January 7, 1999
Parents have a crucial role in building a line between school and home, and their active involvement in the school activities helps children to grow up well in emotional, social and educational sphere. A closer relationship among Teacher-Student-Parent creates an atmosphere in which each student can be improved in his or her own potential.
Parental involvement in improving school experience broadly includes monitoring and helping children with their homework; attending school conferences and functions; complying with school policies; being proactive in their relationships with the teachers; and providing a supportive learning environment at home.
How Parents Benefit
Active involvement in child’s educational process is equally beneficial for parents:
•Teachers not only respect and value involved parents more than uninvolved parents, but they also have higher expectations for their children.
•More actively involved parents develop increased confidence in their abilities to parent.
•For some parents, involvement in their child’s education also encourages them to pursue further education themselves to advance their careers.
There are numerous research studies that document the impact of parent participation and partnership with the school for improving a child’s educational performance. Almost all research specifies strong positive correlations between parental involvement in children’s school experience and improved student attitudes and performance.
Various studies report that the students whose parents are actively involved in their school experience achieve:
•Higher grades and test scores;
•Better attendance and more homework completed, consistently;
•Fewer placements in special education programs;
•Higher graduation rates; and
•More positive attitudes as well as decreased alcohol use, violence, and antisocial behaviour.
The benefits of successful parental involvement are not confined to students alone. Schools that encourage active parental involvement also achieve significant advantages, like improved teacher morale and higher parental ratings of teacher performance; and have increased support from families and a better reputation in the community.
There is, undoubtedly, powerful evidence linking parental involvement to children’s success at the school level. Ideally parents must begin their involvement in pre-school and continue to be involved in varying degrees throughout middle, high school and post senior secondary.
Additionally, policymakers, researchers, educators, students, families, and community leaders must all work together to make education a genuine community enterprise and an empowering, enriching experience for every child.
