By M. S. Sheikh
“Family” and “School” are two different and very important social institutions of the society and have different roles and responsibilities respectively, such as:
Family:
Family as an institution is responsible of child’s hygiene, health, tidiness, food, supply of educational support material and accessories, provide pick and drop and have to pay school’s fee etc.
School:
The institution of school is responsible to provide a secure & comfortable environment in which a child can get education. Further, it is also the responsibility of School to socialize and to give confidence to make a child a responsible citizen.
If both these institutions perform their duties in its true spirit within their domains and radius then there will be all fine. Problem arises when any one puts/shifts its responsibilities to other. It creates server role-conflict which further effects the mental and physical health of a child.
This conflict is very much visible in Pakistan in both Private & Government Education Sectors. When a school conducts an entry test for a student of 5 years old child for admission in Class/Grade-I, school is putting/shifting his responsibility on the family. So when “Family” has to do the job which absolutely not his duty to prepare the child for entry test, then it creates “Role Conflict”. For the purpose, “Family” has to send its child to some “Nurseries” or “Preparatory” schools to get the child prepared for the admission in Grade/Class-I. It is definitely an extra Burden on “Family” in general and on child in particular.
The negative impact of this extra activity on child resulted a poor mental & physical growth. It effects child’s normal physical growth. We can evidence such things around us by seeing kids wearing spectacles at their early age, short height and hormonal disorder/irregularity.
If we analyze the modern and upgraded education system of developed countries of Europe, America, Japan etc, we will come to know that kids are not allowed to attend a regular school before the age of 6 – 7 years. If they are sent to school, then only for recreation and creative activities/drills. No curriculum is imposed. Even in some countries students are not allowed to have/bring books upto the grades of 3 – 4. Kids just attend the school for drills and creative activities and “Zero-Homework” system is prevailed, where as it is mandatory in our system.
So if we really want to prepare our next generation to compete with rest of the world then we, surely have to re-visit our primary education system. This system must be “activities based” instead of “book-based”. Activities should be brain-storming and to stimulate the hidden qualities, talents & competences of children, so that they may become leaders, not the slaves.
Family is the basic institution where a family member is groomed. If the parents are assigned a duty to prepare the kid for such entry test then the mother specially will be displaced from her preliminary duties. It is a fact that mother can take care minutely of her kids at home then there is no need of any Kindergarten or Nursery level then school administration should not exercise the activity of an entry test for admission in Grade-1. Admission policy should be very simple and clear. Home itself is a school, but within its own jurisdictions, so it is said that mother’s lap is the first institution of the kid. So, there is no need to send it to a formal school before the age of atleast 5 years. Parents are requested politely to review their mindset for the betterment of their next generation that what is wrong and what is right for them?