Mutual expectations of parents
and teachers regarding children
-Mr. A.K. Sahni
Secretary, Parent Teacher Association of India
The child being the focus of attention of both parents
and teachers, both the forces work together for the
improvement and welfare of the child. To avoid any clash
and to be able to work more harmoniously there are
certain obligations on both home and school, and the
parents and the teachers have some mutual expectations
regarding their children.
The parents expectations of a teacher
To advance provisions for equal educational
opportunities for all; the teacher has to remember it
always that he has to behave as a parent
To know the children, the teacher should appreciate
their virtues. He should be able to recognize the worth
of each child. He should be fair, encouraging and
praising he child when there is an occasion for it. He
should rather find ways of praising them.
To expect love and respect from children and parents,
he teacher has to give respect and love to the students
and treat them with dignity
The teacher has not to play any favorites and no
prejudice to be harbored against a certain child. The
teacher should not form any firm opinion about a child
that he is bad and he is to be treated always with
prejudice. No malice at all should work in the mind of a
teacher
The teacher is expected to be humane and warm,
helpful and sympathetic, humorous and lovable. To be
humane for a teacher is more important than his skill
and knowledge of the subject
The teacher should keep in mind that learning is a
process and if a childish slow in learning, he should
not be punished with blows. This fear is no
encouragement in learning process; it is simply driving
him blindly. There are unpleasant memories of school
engraved in the hearts of many parents. He should avoid
corporal punishments. He should appeal to the better
side of each pupil.
The child should be given a chance to develop his
talents to the fullest extent.
To plan work so that maximum children participate
actively. He must feel that the children have come to
school with a specific purpose of learning.
To build up the character of the children. Special
emphasis should be laid down upon moral codes i.e.
matters of honesty, rights of others, good conduct,
co-operation and purity of thought and speech.
The teacher should not be a terror for children like
a policeman. His behavior should be more friendly and
helpful so that the children should freely approach him
with their personal problems. When is necessary to
discipline a child, it should be done in private. He
shouldn’t be made an example before the class. The
punishment of a child should be just, and after
punishment no malice is held with the child. For the
misdeed of one or two the whole class should not be
punished.
To look after the health of each child, he teacher
should build up the habit of obedience in the child so
that he becomes a disciplined citizen. The teacher
should create an environment where the child feels
absolutely free and relieved to say what he thinks and
feels absolutely free and relieved to say what he thinks
and feels. He should select influences that will appeal
to the child. The school is to be a place of interest
for the child where he goes willingly.
The parents also expect that the teacher should be
careful about his appearance and clothes. He should have
respect for the profession, love his job and take
interest in his work. He should be a person of integrity
with an acute sense of responsibility. He should be
prepared to work together with the parents and value
their opinion regarding the child. As the child spends
more time at home, he has more influence of the home
environments than school. He has stronger ties with his
parents and they can observe him more.
Besides this, parents want to understand the growth
and development of their children. They have certain
doubts to be clarified and certain misunderstandings to
be ironed out. The teacher should willingly inform them
fully about the school’s programme and other
observations about the children he should be just and
clear in his remarks.
The Teacher in turn expects some help from the
parents in the following ways:
They should spend more time with their children and take
them along for picnics, outings and other places of
interest. They should also show interest in their work
and allied activities.
The parents must have respect for the authority of
teachers and the teaching profession, and they must
avoid criticism of teachers and the teaching profession,
and they must avoid criticism of teachers. This will
develop good habits in the children and they will have
genuine respect and love for their teachers.
The child is for more time at home. Moreover the
parents have brought him up from his birth. They are
well aware of his emotions and sentiments. They should
inform the teacher very honestly about the child’s
behavior and work at home. They should not necessarily
defend his behavior.
The cause of misbehavior starts at home. If the
parents are unable to mind the child, they should not
expect too much from the teacher. Home environments are
to be changed and the parents should look after the
child properly. The teacher is to help them.
The parents must see that the child attends the
school regularly and he is quite punctual. He should be
further encouraged in this habit. The parents should
make child more responsible at home. He should be
assigned some job, which he should tackle independently.
When the child goes from school, he needs some rest.
He also needs nourishing food. The parents must see to
these comforts of the child.
The parents must carefully go through the new techniques
and methods of modern teaching and their difference from
the past.
The parents must have information from the school
about the co-curricular activities of the child and the
time allotted to them the amount of home study required
to them, the amount of home study required and other
preliminary things like length of the school day.
The most important thing for the parents is to
recognize the teacher’s expertise in his own field. They
must instill in the child’s mind the respect for the
teacher. Respect for the school. Respect for the rights
of others and discipline.
