Every child, when he begins to grow up, starts to act in the world in an increasingly independent way from the action of his parents, gradually knowing his material conditions and the reality that surrounds him.
This process goes through numerous institutions, including the main one, the school. The schooling process presupposes the opening of parents to formal education, taking into account the importance of this content for the development of their children. But this is not a process of “passing the baton”: as far as parents go, from now on, it is the school's responsibility. On the contrary, when children enter the school reality, it is based on family values that they relate to this new context. Therefore, we emphasize the need for parents to be present in their children's education.
What does it mean to be present in the education of children?
For many parents, being present has a physical meaning: attending the school space, attending meetings, events and other commitments, and so on. For others, the presence in their children's school life implies establishing relationships with the contents of the subjects that they are learning, helping with homework, suggesting cultural programs, movies, theaters and music. All these ways of acting engender the presence of parents in education.
And when it is not possible to actively participate in school activities?
The new economic configurations of society often demand dedication from parents, making it impossible for parents to be present in their children's educational commitments. The rush of daily life does not allow many family members to follow this development closely. Furthermore, many parents are not intellectually able to participate. This is because society's literacy and schooling process is gradual, therefore, not all parents of schooled children are literate, which makes participation difficult.
Therefore, it is important to know that this relationship of presence in the education of children goes beyond the relationship with the school. It is a relationship with knowledge, with the action of being educated, learning, knowing. Parents who manage, even in the midst of so many commitments, to demonstrate the importance of the educational process for their children, are already contributing significantly to its development. It is common to follow situations of children whose parents were not literate, who were educated, reaching higher education. This means that the relationship established with education within the family was of relevance, that is, parents always showed their children to importance of studying, receiving and building knowledge, respecting educational institutions and the people who participate in this process.
How can the school encourage the participation of parents in education?
Another dimension to be considered is the opening that the school provides for parents to monitor their children's development. The promotion of actions and events that require the active participation of the family at school is a strategy to be constantly applied. Among the opening proposals are parenting advice, the formation of school support groups, the offer of literacy courses, training or even discussion groups on topics or mutual help for parents of students. The school that manages to open up to the community, without losing its primarily formative characteristic, allows parents participate more efficiently in the educational process of their children, as it proposes training and sharing of experiences educational activities.
How to find out more?
The Brasil Escola portal provides a series of articles that aim to help the relationship between school and family in its Educator's Channel. Among the highlights is the area of Tips for Parents and Teachers. Visit and learn more about the tips, news and articles provided by the team.
Juliana Spinelli Ferrari
Brazil School Collaborator
Graduated in Psychology from UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista
Brief psychotherapy course by FUNDEB - Foundation for the Development of Bauru
Master's Student in School Psychology and Human Development at USP - University of São Paulo
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/psicologia/atuacao-dos-pais-na-escola.htm