Parents are present in large number for every activity while their children attend Preschool. At graduation both parents often accompany their children in the graduation walk. In Primary School parents continue to be attentive and regular participants in their children’s lives. They ensure their children attend practices so that they can properly represent their school in sporting competitions. Parents enroll their children in extra classes to ensure that they are adequately prepared for exams. Primary School Sports Day, other Inter Primary Sporting Competitions and Primary School Graduations are all well attended, and parents gladly support their children and celebrate with them as they are recognised for their various achievements.
Then our children enter Secondary School and perspectives seem to change. The level of involvement exhibited by parents appears to diminish and many students are no longer as engaged in the many activities available to them. How can this change of heart be explained?
We often blame Anguilla’s social challenges on the youth and on the Government’s failure to adequately cater to the needs of our youth. We claim that our education system only caters to a particular segment of our youth, while totally ignoring the needs of other segments. Is this real or is there really something for everyone? An objective examination of the education system suggests that the subjects offered at the Comprehensive Secondary School covers a significant range of areas including Sciences, Visual Arts, Theatre Arts, Music, Languages, Business Studies, Building Trades, Electronics, and Mechanical Technology. These subjects are all offered at levels reflective of the different capacity levels exhibited by the students.
The Inter-House Competitions, at the secondary level, offer a great opportunity for those students who demonstrated an interest and ability in athletics – and other sporting events – to continue to develop their abilities. The failure of secondary students to participate in athletics and sporting activities is clearly not for the want of opportunity. What then is the reason for this apparent lack of interest?
Is it that students are now more interested in developing their musical abilities? If they are, there is no scarcity of opportunities to do so, once they enter Secondary School. The Musical Department of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School has long been recognised as a centre of excellence. The opportunities provided by the ALHCS Steel Orchestra, Concert Band, Recorder Ensemble and Choir cannot be denied. The failure of secondary students to participate in the Music Programmes at the ALHCS is clearly not for the want of opportunity.
At secondary level a host of extra-curricular activities are offered to engage the interest of the students. Clubs exist which cater to those students interested in the environment, travel and debate along with other areas of interest.
Students appear to lose their way as they enter Secondary School. Where are the parents of these Secondary School students as they try to find their way? By all accounts many parents of students begin to lose interest as their children enter Secondary School. This is seen in the reduced number of parents attending school related activities. Many parents no longer find time to support and celebrate their children. Children who are generally interested in pursuing athletics, some other sporting activity or participating in the ALHCS Music Programme, are sometimes unable to do so for the simple reason that their parents cannot make time, in their schedules, to take their children to and from their desired activities.
It often seems to me that our proclaimed desire to address Anguilla’s social challenges might be better served if we focused our attention on encouraging parents to assume their parental responsibilities, rather than denouncing our youth for their apparent failings. How did our children come to that point? Often it is as a result of the failure of parents to offer guidance and time to their children as they enter the most difficult developmental phase of their lives, while at the same time being faced with a plethora of choices which, unfortunately, include being disengaged and unproductive.
I am of the firm opinion that when more parents get their acts together Anguilla’s social challenges will be significantly reduced. A heightened level of engagement on the part of parents will contribute significantly to the wholesome development of our youth.
