Abstract

Education for children is the universal right where the nation, community, school and parents have the major responsibilities and play the crucial roles. Among all, parents are the most responsible and play the vital roles for their children’s education. Hence, focusing on the foremost roles of the parents, the study was conducted to find out the parental roles for their children’s educational activities. The study was carried out at Laboratory Higher Secondary School, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal with cross sectional descriptive research design. Data were collected from 45 parents of students of grades 7, 8 and 9 by using self-administered questionnaire. Parents from Brahmin, Janajati ethnicity of ≥35 years with higher secondary level education, housewives, permanent job holders and from single families were found to be the most involved in children’s education. The parents had managed their time at home for their children’s study. They facilitated children’s study at home by helping in difficult homework, doing family interaction regarding children’s study, providing facilities as children needed, fixing schedule for study, finding out weaknesses, counsel and then help them accordingly, clarifying theory and practical and provide general knowledge. They also had created favorable learning environment for children by maintaining sound home environment, managing separate rooms for study, providing physical facilities, behaving friendly with children, doing family discussion on general knowledge and avoiding pressure only on bookish knowledge. The parents had also involved at school for their children’s education by visiting school, interacting with principal, class coordinators, subject teachers and their children’s friends, communicating periodically by doing face to face meeting or phone calls. The parents have found that their visit to school have motivated their children for study, have got moral support and confidence in study, have chance to find out weakness in their children’s study and to improve on time and become well-disciplined. Additionally, the parents had adopted numerous strategies to motivate their children to study well. It is concluded that the parents were playing multi dynamic roles as helper, guide, teacher, supporter, facilitator, motivator, manager, advisor, investor, communicator, counselor, consoler and evaluator at home and school with different ways and various strategies. Such findings can be implicated for good parenting education, include on school curriculum, development of harmonious society and conduct further research on such related issues.

Keywords:

Parental roles, children, educational activities

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