The word ‘Education’ is said to be derived from few Latin terms ‘Educatum’, ‘Educare’ and ‘Educere’ which means ‘to teach’, ‘to bring up’ and ‘to take out’ respectively. In all these three terms there is a common factor that states that education means to nourish, teach and train the child with the desirable knowledge, habits, ideologies, and behavioural patterns to make him/her capable of becoming a civilised and active member of the society at large and of a family at particular. Education makes a person mature, sensible, broad minded and efficient in leading the life in a better way. Every individual is an indispensable part of a society and to become operative for a society, an individual needs to learn and act according to a systematic framework of it which is being provided through the means of education. So, in precise and simple terms education is to teach, train and to raise the individual in a desirable way to make him a civilized and efficacious for the society.
But here in this context we would ponder upon the other two meanings of education “to bring up” and “to take out”. According to these two meanings; education follows that the child should be brought up in a rightful and decent manner and also there should be efforts from the parents and teachers to bring out the best qualities and talents of the child which are hidden within. Every parent wants their child to become well educated and efficient in managing his/her life. But are the parents truly bringing up the child in such a proper manner, today? Are the parents truly providing such an encouraging atmosphere to the children where they can flourish and realize their hidden specialties? Well, after noticing the increased pressure on the children and rapidly increasing ratio of suicides in adolescents, we hardly can say yes for the above questions.
There is a rapid increase in pressure, comparisons, competition for the children from their parental side. Parents expect their child to be the topper in their academics and the story doesn’t end here they even force the child to be super active in extracurricular activities as well. Parents tend to compare their child with other excellent students, without realizing the limits and talents of their own child. At homes, children are not allowed to watch televisions and to play for long hours but forced to study for long hours. Some children are punished at homes for not scoring high marks in their subjects. These all negative ways of brought up can never allow a child to flourish but would make him/her a pessimist, weak and suppressed person and sometimes results in devastated situations where the child closes all the scopes of betterment by giving up his life forever.
Do the parents really want to educate their children? Do they really want to see their child as becoming a civilized person who in future can create a better society? If yes! Then there should be some changes parents must bring at their part.
- A CHILD IS AN INDIVIDUAL FIRST : Parents first of all should perceive the child as an Individual who has his/her own qualities, talents, habits and moreover capacity and limits.
- REDEFINE THE CONCEPT OF EDUCATION: Parents should redefine the meaning of education. It is not just to follow and complete an academic syllabus and to give the child a big schooling but it means to focus upon an overall ‘development’ of the child. It means to bring out what is hidden within a child. And for this a child should be provided a healthy and positive atmosphere at homes. There should be a balanced approach from the parents. Parents should not only focus on one aspect they should rather think for a child’s physical, mental, emotional and social development.
- BE A FRIEND : Parents should become good friends for their child. They should be open to discuss the matters with their child. They should talk to their child about his daily routine, friend circle and many other matters without any hesitation. They should talk in such a manner that the child is not afraid and hesitant of discussing and disclosing anything with them.
- SAY NO TO COMPARISON: Parents should never compare their child with other children of his/her age. This would surely demoralize the child and would not help him in establishing in his forte.
- FORCE IS NOT A STIMULANT: Force and Pressure are two negative elements for a child’s growth. But ironically majority of the parents have this mindset today that the pressure is a stimulant of a child. The more they make the child fearful of school and syllabus the more efficiently the child would act. But alas! Nothing happens like this. Rather the child becomes a patient of depression, sometimes turns into a rebellion and ultimately quits forever.
- REGULAR TOUCH WITH TEACHERS : Parents should be in regular touch with the respective teachers of the child and should regularly ask for his/her response in the classroom so that they should be aware where their child is lacking and how can they help their child the his teachers from their side.
Parents and a child possess a beautiful relationship which should be created and build up on healthy terms. Parents are the first teachers of the child and the primary education starts right at the childhood at the home only. So it is a big responsibility of the parents to understand the concept of education in a better way and to educate their children to make them better human beings for a healthy society.
