Dr Asha Pemberton
teenhealth.tt@gmail.com
SCHOOL SUCCESS, while not limited to academic achievement, plays an integral part to the holistic development of adolescents and emerging young adults.
The landscape of school spaces has changed. The use of virtual technology, hybrid platforms, individualised educational plans, and a greater attention to different learning styles have all enhanced the quality that our educators provide our young people. What remains unchanged is the fact that a functioning and healthy partnership between teachers and families is integral to overall success.
Through respectful and open communication and collaboration, parents and teachers create important opportunities for teens to develop social, emotional and academic skills. School involvement by parents makes a difference.
When teachers and parents partner to support student achievement, students have more consistent and punctual school attendance, enjoy better performance and engage in the widest possible variety of school-based activities.
Again, school success is not limited to academic success and it has been demonstrated that families who are more engaged in school culture nurture young people who fill leadership roles and represent their school in a variety of sporting, cultural, artisanal and other competitive events.
These happen through the reciprocal processes of parent participation in the school, supporting activities or even lending their specialised skills. The parents give of themselves to support the school and the school is more enriched toward supporting the students. Young people in turn feel an enhanced sense of pride in their school and are more enthusiastic and willing to connect.
In reality, not all schools will have the same resources. This should not discourage parents from being involved. Typically, the schools with more robust extracurricular programmes and committees have more parental and alumni involvement. While some schools will have generations of committed family benefactors, it is truly never too late to begin.
Starting a new initiative takes tenacity, patience and perseverance. If we truly want a nation in which all young people attend schools with the resources needed to educate and prepare for their future, parental investment in partnership with educators is required.
There are many potential and valid roadblocks that prevent parents from connecting with the schools of their tweens and teens. Demanding work schedules, communication challenges and even language and cultural barriers can become obstacles. Sometimes there are overestimations regarding funding and financial support that schools may be able to give which leaves parents frustrated.
These considered, parents are encouraged to keep top of mind the reasons why they should invest time, effort and skills into the learning spaces of their young people. Tweens and teens spend the majority of their waking hours at school, and this above all should be a reason to assist in any way to make those hours comfortabl
