Persons Should Educate Themselves About Parenting – Education Official

Community Relations Officer at the Ministry of Education, Charmaine Gooden-Monteith, has suggested that persons should educate themselves about parenting, before having children.
Addressing a recent graduation ceremony for parents, at the Manchester Early Childhood Centre, Church Teachers’ College, Mandeville, Mrs. Gooden-Monteith said parents should impart values that were helpful in the past, so that some of the decadence in the society can be corrected.
“Those good old time values are still important today. The absence of those values is evident as we observe how crass and uncaring some of our people have become. I am not saying that we got everything right in the past, but I honestly believe that if we had been practising some of the good things of the past and imparting them to our children, many of the bad that we see today, would not be in our sight,” she said.
“The good book reminds us that we should train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. The Ministry of Education, through the Early Childhood Centre.is ensuring that parents and children get it right from the start. This will lessen the problems that we experience at the other levels of the education system, and this is an important way of ensuring that parents are equipped with the right skills and attitude,” Mrs. Gooden-Monteith said.
She called on parents not to abuse their children in any form, as this would negatively affect their learning at school. She also pointed out that when children make reports of adults making improper advances at them, parents should not ignore them, but do proper investigations, so that the abuse can be stopped and the perpetrators dealt with by the law.
Mrs. Gooden-Monteith emphasised that parents should save money for their children’s education. “Education is an investment, and you have to play your part. Encourage your children to give you returns on your investment. When you purchase books, uniforms and provide everything necessary to send your children to school, they should know that it is important for them to perform and surpass your expectations. Many parents accept mediocre performance from their children, but they should be encouraged to work hard from an early age,” Mrs. Gooden-Monteith told the parents.