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Education
Tips for child development
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Education has to improve at all costs, and, schools and parents must work together in this lofty endeavour, expecting more and more from children, and putting them in the right course to fulfil the needs and requirements of societies of the future.
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THE FOLLOWING are the five important things that parents must do to improve their children's education:
Home Work
Homework is essential, though too much homework is not justified. Excessive homework given to children by their teachers destroy families, says Professor Tom Loveless, Director, Brown Centre of Education Policy, and former Harvard University Professor.
The rough thumb rule to be followed is about half an hour of homework per grade. This means that students of the fourth grade must have two hours per week, and a student of the tenth grade about 5 hours.
Research shows that moderate homework boosts academic achievement, and must be encouraged.
Socialising with friends
Influence of adults on children must be more than influence of friends. School performance will definitely fall, as time with friends increases. Lawrence Steinberg of Temple University, department of Education, has documented how the average American teenagers spend about 20 to 25 hours per week socialising with friends, and this definitely contributes to a drop in their academic performance.
Teenagers forming groups have a shared set of values. Many of them demean academic learning and performance. Only about a third of the students believe that grades are important. This does not mean that parents should lock their children in bedrooms.
Parents and teachers must constantly emphasise their high expectations, to their children. Peer values are strong, but adult values are stronger and many teenagers look for advice from their adults.
Sports & games
Sports and games are very important, but cut back on sports if they seriously interfere with your ward's academic work.
In moderation, sports and games are very healthy, and encourage children to take part in collective team sports such as football, basket ball, baseball or cricket.
Academic achievements drop drastically if the student spends more than 20 hours per week on sports and games.
Sacrificing studies means a loss of future and if students are failing, tough decisions must be made by parents to keep them under strict control regarding extra curricular activities.
TV viewing
Watching TV certainly depresses the student's academic achievement. Most of the programmes are dumb rap.
One hour a day may be all that can be permitted, and such students may do better than those who are not permitted to watch TV at all.
Amercian children generally are not high viewers, while Japanese children are too much addicted to the idiot box.
TV viewing by children has radically declined in the U.S.
Moderation is the answer for Indian children, and occasional viewers are much better students. Why is this?
The children do benefit, by viewing current events and cultural shows.
My own view is that heavy views take a toll, and studies are radically affected if children view the TV for more than three hours a day.
Part time jobs
For heaven's sake curtail jobs during weekends. In most countries students do not take up part time work, and this is a healthy tendency, as jobs prevent children from getting a good education, which is the main goal at this time.
Some people say that work teaches students responsibility. A more responsible student is one who completes his assignments in time, promptly and efficiently.
A student who masters mathematics, and languages will be a far better citizen of tomorrow, than those who operate cash registers, or flip hamburgers, and serve in gas stations.
High school jobs must be purely confined to summer. Learning needs effort and is not innate.
Education has to improve at all costs and schools and parents must work together in this lofty endeavour, expecting more and more from children, and putting them in the right course to fulfil the needs and requirements of societies of the future.
ALLADI PRABHAKAR
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