Something happened today that got me kind of annoyed, angry, and sad about how modern parents handle their children, especially when it comes to their academics. As a teacher, the last section of the term is always an eventful one because most parents are always eager to know if their ward is promoted or not. Unfortunately, prior to that moment, most of them cared less about whether the child came to school, read, or participated in any academic activities or not. All they're after is to realize that the child progresses to the next class without bothering to know how the child really fairs academically.
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After school vacated a week ago, the students were asked to come back today to collect their report cards. The students were asked to inform their parents, and personally, as a class teacher, I sent a message to each parent to serve as a reminder to that effect. Unfortunately, I was getting responses from most of these parents, informing me of how they couldn't leave their business and begging me to just give their ward the results. Since the school has made that clear, I declined and let them know that either they show up or their ward won't be collecting the report card.
Well, it happened that during the collection of the report card, I was issuing the report card to the parents who were around and encouraging them on the next line of action regarding the outcome of their ward's performance. For those whose ward got promoted, I spoke to them about the next step to monitor their child's academy and also pointed out some subjects they're lacking in and should improve on moving forward.
For those whose ward failed and had to repeat the same class, I also encouraged them and let them know failure isn't the end of life but should be seen as an opportunity to do better, correct the lapses of both child and parent, and hopefully the child will improve in their academics. Though some of them weren't pleased and even tried to bribe me to alter the score of their ward, I rejected that.
What got me angry the most and warranted this write-up were some annoying parents who had never shown up on the school premises since the first day they registered the child at the school. I kind of wonder how a parent will be so comfortable having a child in school and never go to check up on them for three sections that cut across one full year.
Now some of these students came to school alone without their parents, and after seeing that I wouldn't be giving them the results, they had to beg the parents of some of their friends to stand in the gap for them and represent their parents just so I'd give them the report card. Well, I obliged to that and gave it to anyone of them who had someone to stand in for their parents.
Fast forward a few hours, and the parent who allegedly claimed to be busy and couldn't leave their business came to the school premises, demanding to see me. Well, the reason they're looking for me can't be farfetched; apparently, their ward failed, and they can't seem to Stand that, so they came begging me to help them alter the results so their child can be promoted to the next class.
I had to sit some of them down and ask a few questions, like how long had your child been in this school, which they all said a year, and then I asked if they knew me as their child's class teacher, and they all said no. I also asked them if any of their children had brought a result home in the past two sections, and they said no. Then I stated the obvious to them, that if truely this child is important to you, you won't neglect them and only come hear because they fail, which means had such a child not failed, they wouldn't show up in the school till the child graduates.
These acts are very common in my community, and I think they should stop. If you can't cater for a child and monitor their progress in life, then there is no point in bringing such a child into the world. I mean, it's ridiculous that a parent doesn't know the class teacher of their child, not to mention any subject teacher. It's even annoying that they prioritize their business over their children.
Despite all of this, some of them still believe they can get their child promoted to the next class with cash. Well, I've made it obvious I won't be having a hand in that, so they'll either let their kid repeat or withdraw them and take them to a new school to continue their academics there.
I ended the day attending a wedding ceremony of one of my church sons, and on my way to the event center, I saw one of those parents who never took out time to check on their child in school; she was walking ahead of moving obviously to the party; it simply shows they're more concerned about their business and social life than they are for the children. I really hope this madness stops.
NOTE: All photos are mine.
Thanks fir your time, have a wonderful day.