POOR ATTENDANCE continues to plague parent-teachers' association (PTA) meetings in schools across the island. Some parents do not even bother to visit schools to collect their children's academic reports.
The executive members of the National Parent-Teachers' Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) are not pleased. They describe the attendance as "very poor".
The NPTAJ was not able to provide hard data on attendance levels; however, it estimated that the average attendance across the island was well below 50 per cent.
"The feedback from our members indicates that attendance is approxi-mately 20 per cent of membership/parents at the schools," was the NPTAJ's response to questions from The Gleaner.
Effort necessary
"Parents have a responsibility to become fully engaged and contribute in the best way they can to the school that their children attend," the association said.
"Every parent should make a concerted effort to attend meetings and contribute positively." However, the NPTAJ highlighted that each PTA executive was responsible for ensuring that the meetings started and finished, with a proper agenda which was engaging and which afforded the sharing of important information. The NPTAJ executive also asked that notices of meetings be circulated in a timely manner to allow parents enough time to adjust their schedules.
Yvonne Sterling, acting principal of the Drews Avenue Primary and Infant School, said her school's attendance level fluctuated between 30 and 50 per cent. Close to 550 students attend the school.
Sterling says community violence sometimes prevents some parents from attending the meetings. "Parents would want to come, but they can't," she said.
Fathers attending
The school's general PTA meetings are held twice per term, while grade meetings are held once per term and as the need arises.
The records of PTA groupings show that mothers are more likely to attend meetings, but in recent times, fathers have been showing improved attendance.
Esther Tyson, principal of Ardenne High School in St Andrew, told The Gleaner that roughly 25 per cent of parents usually turned up for the PTA meetings. Ardenne has a student population of close to 2,000.
Tyson explained that the parents of students in the lower school, namely first and second forms, were the ones who usually attended the PTA meetings.
"The higher the students go up, in terms of grade, the lower the attendance," she said, adding that many parents felt they did not need to attend meetings when their children were in high school.
Parents' tool kit
Seven good reasons to join the PTA:
1 The PTA is more about raising children than raising funds, although fund-raising is an important activity, especially in these lean times. At PTA meetings, you are able to discuss school matters with teachers, school administrators and other parents and participate in making decisions.
2 You need to form a partnership with your child's teachers and the PTA serves as a sturdy bridge between home and school.
3 At PTA meetings, you get tips on how to monitor the process of your child's education, support the values being instilled at school, and see that the rules are obeyed.
4 You can network with other parents, share experiences, exchange helpful information and find ways to pool resources.
5 When you attend PTA meetings on a regular basis, you signal to your children that you take their school and their education seriously, and so should they.
6 Students perform better and are more disciplined when parents take an active interest in their education.
7 By participating in the PTA, you set a good example of community involvement for your child to follow.
Get involved with the PTA. If attending the meetings is all you can do, it is worth doing.
