Make optimum use of visitation days
ONE of the practices in our education system is that some schools, especially in urban areas, select either the beginning or end of the month for parents to meet teachers and students. The choice of these dates is carefully done so that they fall at the time when parents have money to buy essentials
By Jackson Ojok
ONE of the practices in our education system is that some schools, especially in urban areas, select either the beginning or end of the month for parents to meet teachers and students. The choice of these dates is carefully done so that they fall at the time when parents have money to buy essentials for their children, as well as pocket money.
There used to be three visitation days in a term for some schools; while others had parents visiting their children every Sunday. In 2005, the Ministry of Education and Sports restricted visitation days to once a term, although some schools still allow parents to see their children twice a term.
It is not a bad idea to have visitation. For an effective performance, teachers, students and parents should work together.
However, some parents do not know how to conduct themselves during these visits. Some of them leave before they have seen their children’s teachers.
Other parents just hug their children, sit in the car and read a newspaper, while the child eats what has been brought from home.
This is mostly done by male parents or guardians, while the mothers pay more attention to serving food and drinks to their children.
Some parents come with posh cars to show off and are not interested in the academic affairs of the child.
Some parents smuggle unauthorised items to schools on visitation days. Such items include alcohol, mobile phones, cameras and radios.
There are some parents who come other days besides the visitation day, claiming they had not known the appointed date. Such parents disorganise their children on normal school working days. They also disrupt their own programmes.
Teachers also abuse visitation days in many ways. Some of them do not come to school on such days to meet the parents. Other teachers may fail to present marks of students for certain subjects, or may still be marking on the day of visitation. Some even go to the extreme, faking marks of students, to impress the parents. Finally, some teachers want money from parents to give special attention to some children.
But students are the main abusers of visitation days. Many of them hide in dormitories while the parents are busy using other students to locate them. Others do not do tests before the visitation days and when their parents come, the students pretend that they have done the examination.
Meanwhile, some refuse to convey the messages of the subject teachers to their parents.
Some students confuse their parents that certain teachers hate them and so have given them fewer marks. Some careless students lose their marked scripts which form the basis of discussion between teachers and parents. Another group of students does not take their parents to the subject or class teachers.
Hence for effective utilisation of visitation days, the following things should be done:
If possible each parent should acquire a parent identity card from the school, bearing the photograph of the child and that of the parent. This should be presented by the parent at the school gate to legitimise the parent’s presence at school.
Register on arrival because the school may want to know which parents have come.
Each parent should get all the handouts which may be given by the school administration. Read through them and know the trend of events on that day and stick to them.
See the school administration and ask some questions about the school. Insist on seeing the marked scripts, notebooks and other students’ academic materials before your child takes you to the subject teachers. These will give you a good picture of your child’s work before teachers tell you anything.
Insist on seeing your child’s teachers before you go back home. If possible, make a special arrangement with the teachers to handle your child in weak areas. This practice does not work in all schools, though.
Advise the child; do not get enraged at the child’s poor performance. Encourage the child that he/she can still do well.
Leave some pocket money with the child if applicable. Some schools require the students to keep their money with the school bursar; please follow the school regulations.
Do not smuggle in unauthorised items on visitation day.
Parents should not visit the same child separately and give contradictory pieces of advice. Do not tell the child your family quarrels. Keep this to yourself.
Do not take long with teachers because other parents also want to talk with them. Interact with other parents and compare notes. They can be useful.
If conditions allow, all teachers should be at school on all visitation days. Be friendly to parents and allow them to consult you on the child’s welfare. Have your marks ready a day before visitation and use them to interpret the child’s work to parents. Some parents may want to compare the marks and position of their children with other children’s, so have a comprehensive set of marks and positions on the subject/class. It is not professional to demand money from the parents. Let them give you money on their own.
Meanwhile, all students should do all examinations before the visitation day. Let your parents find you easily. Take your parents to your teachers in order for the two parties to know one another. Be friendly to your parents and teachers. Understand the position of your parents and do not over demand from them. Promise your parents good results and work hard to achieve it.
The writer is a history teacher at Namirembe Hillside
ONE of the practices in our education system is that some schools, especially in urban areas, select either the beginning or end of the month for parents to meet teachers and students. The choice of these dates is carefully done so that they fall at the time when parents have money to buy essentials for their children, as well as pocket money.
There used to be three visitation days in a term for some schools; while others had parents visiting their children every Sunday. In 2005, the Ministry of Education and Sports restricted visitation days to once a term, although some schools still allow parents to see their children twice a term.
It is not a bad idea to have visitation. For an effective performance, teachers, students and parents should work together.
However, some parents do not know how to conduct themselves during these visits. Some of them leave before they have seen their children’s teachers.
Other parents just hug their children, sit in the car and read a newspaper, while the child eats what has been brought from home.
This is mostly done by male parents or guardians, while the mothers pay more attention to serving food and drinks to their children.
Some parents come with posh cars to show off and are not interested in the academic affairs of the child.
Some parents smuggle unauthorised items to schools on visitation days. Such items include alcohol, mobile phones, cameras and radios.
There are some parents who come other days besides the visitation day, claiming they had not known the appointed date. Such parents disorganise their children on normal school working days. They also disrupt their own programmes.
Teachers also abuse visitation days in many ways. Some of them do not come to school on such days to meet the parents. Other teachers may fail to present marks of students for certain subjects, or may still be marking on the day of visitation. Some even go to the extreme, faking marks of students, to impress the parents. Finally, some teachers want money from parents to give special attention to some children.
But students are the main abusers of visitation days. Many of them hide in dormitories while the parents are busy using other students to locate them. Others do not do tests before the visitation days and when their parents come, the students pretend that they have done the examination.
Meanwhile, some refuse to convey the messages of the subject teachers to their parents.
Some students confuse their parents that certain teachers hate them and so have given them fewer marks. Some careless students lose their marked scripts which form the basis of discussion between teachers and parents. Another group of students does not take their parents to the subject or class teachers.
Hence for effective utilisation of visitation days, the following things should be done:
The writer is a history teacher at Namirembe Hillside