Mrs Nanre Emeje, the Director, FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB), has advised parents in the country to be adequately involved in the education and upbringing of their children for a better and responsible nation.
Emeje, who was the former Acting Director and Secretary of the board, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, shortly after assuming office as the new Director.
She said parental upbringing was important, as it predicts how children perform in the domains of social competence, psycho-social development, academic performance and problem behaviour.
According to her, parents have a greater role to play in the development and upbringing of their children, thefore should be actively and adequately involved in their education.
“Parents must be interested and involved in the education of their children; when we call for PTA meeting they should be interested in coming and contribute their quater.
“I call on parents to be interested and involved in the education of their children knowing that their children stay in school more than at home.
“When you send them to school and we are able to instill alot of things in them, so when they go back home create time so that it will be a continuation of what happened in the school.
“Because we have discovered that sometimes parents don’t have time for their children and they believe that the teachers in school are magicians.
“The teachers are not magicians but they are only trying their best, so I am calling on parents to know that both the parents and teachers have a role to build and develop the children,” she said.
She noted that bad parenting was responsible for most of the challenges confronting the nation today, adding that positive parenting will help develop a child.
However, she said there was need for both the parents and teachers to help build and develop the children through adequate and proper upbringing.
“Parents must play their part, the school and the teachers must also play their part; If a child is being disciplined in the school we expect the same at home so that they become better citizens.
“Education is haulistic and is not one sided and so many parties must join hands together to develop the education of our Children in the country.
“But the parents have a greater role to play through proper upbringing and adequate discipline, to have a better nation,” she advised.
She maintained that parents have a vital role to play in defining how every society grows and the kind of values transmitted at the family level defines the quality of every society.
Besides, the Director advised parents, who leave their children at the care of maids and care givers, to strike a balance by giving adequate attention to know them better.