A Meeting with Parents

By Prem Prasad Sigdel

The meeting with parents in school is challenging for school, teachers, children and parents. All partners have been feared with one another whether their weaknesses have been revealed. Mostly children have been feared because parents and teachers would have complained them. Teachers and school may get charged of not teaching according to the interest of the students and parents have been feared whether their children would have been blamed. It has been a matter of headache for all partners due to low achievement of students in exam. Indeed, it also raises doubts and angriness of all the partners due to unexpected achievement from all sides. It is evident that neither partners have been satisfied with the result.

The meeting that I attended had been diverted towards the students who had been at the altar like a goat. Others are also much disenchanted with their children because of their addiction to cell phone. Children often tell lies like they don’t have homework or they need cell phone to do homework. In reality, it’s a pretention that they often watch cell phone or they use messenger to copy homework from their friends. It kills their creativity which has been visible to parents and teachers so they want to make students more responsible. The fact is that, they have often made pretentions to get cell phone and spend time surfing it. It has annoyed parents and teachers very much so they want to refrain from this trouble.

It was the meeting of class 9 where almost 50 students and their guardians have presented. The guardians have blamed their children of spending time watching cell phone; however, they have been unable to stop that. So they have been furious towards their children therefore they have taken the meeting as opportunity to make their children realize the mistake. They have been irritated because they can not complain their children at home due to their insisting nature.  On the other hand, the teachers have also taken it as opportunity to take benefit like parents. It seems that parents, teachers and school are one party and students are opposite party. Therefore, it turns into an endless matter; sometimes it does not match with the meeting agenda

Each partner abuses one another so it seems like informal meeting among these partners. Sometimes the meeting of these four partners i.e. school, teacher, students and guardians has become a mess when parents have taken this time as an opportunity to blame their children of not obeying them or following educational duties duly. The focus of parents has concentrated on academic programs only whereas students have focused on other activities. It is visible that parents have much dissatisfaction towards students and their activities which have been particularly targeted on using cell phone. It is clear that parents and teachers often blame that students use cell phone so they have low academic achievement. Students have also admitted it whereas some of them have claimed that they have used cell phone for right purpose. It is evident that students have behavioral problem because they do not follow household duties rather spend time watching cell phone.

In a nutshell, the students have been asked two questions: why were they failed or got less mark? And, what should be done to get good grade? The students have accepted that they could not do well in their exam. They also promise to get good marks in the coming examination. However, they have presented different arguments regarding school. One of the students has argued that cell phone can be used for positive purpose. All the teachers and parents have agreed with the logic; however it has been one of the logics only. Similarly, some students have said that homework was more; it was not accepted by parents and teachers. The parents have demanded even more homework so that students can spend time doing homework rather than eying for cell phone. On the other hand, teachers have not assigned more homework so it has been rejected. One of the students asked to sing rap song in each program; then the principal has put condition that he should have done some progression in study to get such opportunity. He even said that his YouTube channel should be liked and subscribed by all. One of the students has demanded that he should not be forced to trim his hair.

It seemed too odd in the meeting when routine was not managed; or the meeting seemed messy. When routine was managed, everything would go schedule wise. A motivational aspect has been focused excessively which had been useless for them. Such programs have happened before so students do not be careful. It’s a revenge! Students have been made a goat at altar! They have been feeling fear! They have been given difficult option either to chose or reject study! Who is responsible for bad result and what should have been done? They face such difficult option either to swallow or vomit out! It seems that meeting was organized to defame students or to make them realize their mistake, watching cell phone, only. As we evaluate their demand they have taken study as second option. They want to do different things differently; so the conflict arose. It seems that they have been forcefully sent to school, taught and involved in examination!

It is visible that guardians have been faded up with their children’s behavior. They express their views that it has been the dead end for children. They surrender everything for school when they have been unable to guide them at home. It seems that children are the winners! Most of the students have already promised their parents not to speak anything in the meeting which has been told by the parents individually. Students seem so cunning that they remain silent ignoring the discussion in the hall. I think they have been planning for the day after meeting! They have only sought redemption from the meeting; then that was their day! The meeting that happens in paradoxes which has no end or it seems starting of the process.

The meeting happens for weaknesses only it seems there is no positive side at all!