Level of Parental Participation in Children's Education in Maldives

This article is based on a recent study conducted on the level of parental participation in school management in the Maldives. It was a small study conducted by administering a  questionnaire among few parents and by conducting online interviews with few teachers and school heads. As the numbers of respondents are just a few it calls for further study in this area.

However, the key findings of the study are given below:

Ø  Valence of Maldivian parents towards participation in their children’s education is quite high at present.

Ø  Some teachers have failed to communicate with the parents beyond extremely necessary level.

Ø  Maldivian parents maintained a good level of communication with their children about the school and school has maintained the practice of communicating with parents through children.

Ø  Time Maldivian parents have for school is in question either due to work or other reasons such as family responsibilities.

Ø  Level to which Maldivian parents helped their children to do homework had increased rapidly since 1980 until 2000.

Ø  Level to which Maldivian parents helped children to do their home work has declined since 2000.

Ø  There has been increase in the intensity of Maldivian parents who brought and fetched children from school.

Ø  The amount of time and energy Maldivian parents has got to contribute to school matters and activities have gradually fallen since 1980.

Ø  The total parent participation has increased since 1980 and reached a considerably high level by 2010 in the Maldives.

Ø  The main negative impact of parent participation in school management is the misuse of the privilege parents get by participating in school management.

Ø  One main positive impact according to findings is the feeling of “belonging to school” being created among parents.

Ø  Teachers believe that it is easy to take care of students when parents participate.

Ø  Parents’ participation is not necessary in some administrative measures and confidential Ministry related matters.

Ø  Some academic matters should be solely decided by school heads though information about the matters should be given to parents.

Ø  Most teachers and school heads believe that the current amount of parent participation is sufficient.

Ø  Most teachers and school heads believe that the methods they use to involve parents are quite good

 

Are We Truly Concerned About Educational Progress in the Country

This blog has extended its hand of assistance to limits not very easy to reach. This blog is ready to attend to problems of individual teachers, in the school environment as several teachers truly face problems they find  difficult to solve with all the managers around them for several reasons.This blog has requested teachers in Male' the capital of Maldives as well as teachers and supervisors in atolls , school leaders and leaders of education sectors in provinces to motivate teachers to join the blog and ask for assistance. Yet most people seem to be too busy to respond. Most people are scared to help others and join a the action of a noble task. Moreover, some seem to think they have got sufficient knowledge when they can search some texts and get some information through internet.

However, it is sad to know that their is very less research done in Maldives and even  lesser research done based on education sector of Maldives. People take things too easily and the outcome is not that fruitful. Moreover, we have got to wonder whether people truly worry about educational progress in the country. There are teachers who do not know what action research mean, what dyslexia means, what school culture means and school climate means. Moreover, some teachers hardly know their true targets in teaching. So don't we really need help? Moreover, expatriate teachers need to know a lot about Maldivian culture and  true teaching and learning goals as most of them have never undergone teacher training. A lot of them come as fresh graduates. Besides that due to lack of teachers, even today in different atolls and even in the capital we have to employ temporary teachers with no training at all. Won't they need support.? Thus I think it is the responsibility of trained teachers, school leaders and province education unit heads to guide novice teachers and others to get assistance from networks like this where experienced and devoted people in the field  of teaching are ready to help and reduce the burden of educational leaders in schools of Maldives.

It is expected that these words would open the eyes of those who should take the initiative of assisting those who need assistance.