Parents’ Involvement in Education

F. Parents’ Role in Students Education

The child is born into a family – his first socializing group and the most basic agency of socialization in all societies. The family not only is the first group to which he is exposed, but also is in many ways the most influential. 43 One reason for importance of the family is that it has the main responsibility for socializing children in the crucial early years of life. The family is where children establish their first close emotional ties, learn acquire language, and begin to internalize cultural norms and values. 44 As the unit of the society, the home sets the pattern for social development and adjustment to form the attitudes and behaviour habits. A child’s physical, mental, and emotional potentialities reflect the physical, mental, and emotional characteristics of his parent. They are formed by the interaction between the child and the parent 45 .

1. Parents’ Involvement in Education

The term “parents’ involvement” is used broadly in this writing. It includes several different forms of participation in education and with the schools. Parents get involved in their children’s education because one of their functions is giving education for their children. The children’s education is primarily a concern of the family, not the society. Based on Republic of Indonesia law 23 of the year 2002 on Child Protection article 26: Parents obligate and assume responsibility for: 1 nurturing, taking care, giving education, and protecting the child, 2 developing their child’s ability, talent, and interest. Then, in Republic of Indonesia law 20 of the year 2003 on National Education System article 7: Parents’ Authority and Obligation 43 Cole S. Brembeck, Social Foundations of Education : A Cross-Cultural Approach, New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc., 1967, p. 121 44 Ian Robertson, Sociology, New York: Worth Publishers, Inc., 1978, p.108 45 Lester D. Crow and Alice Crow, Introduction to Education Fundamental Principles and Modern Practices, New York: American Book Company, 1960 p.453 1 Parents have authority in choosing school and get information about their children development. 2 Parents who have learning-aged children obligate to give basis education to their children. Talking about parents involvement, it can be defined as a process that the parents use all their ability to develop their children’s potency. 46 Parents obligate as positive habit former for strong foundation in informal education. With the habits, the children will adapt and will adopt their parents. 47 Then parents have important role in developing children potency. Parents can support their children’s schooling by attending school functions and responding to school obligations, for example: parents-teacher conferences. They can become more involved in helping in their children improve their schoolwork by providing encouragement, arranging for appropriate study time and space, modelling desired behaviour such as reading for pleasure, monitoring homework, and actively tutoring their children at home. 48 Outside the home, parents can serve as advocates for the school. They can volunteer to help out with school activities or work in the classroom. Or they can take an active role in the governance and decision making necessary for planning, developing, and providing an education for the community’s children. In this respect, parents play a crucial role as a tutor, counselor, facilitator, and character builder at home, an advocate in school and supporter in academic competition. These mixed roles exert considerable influence in shaping not only children’s intellectual talents or potential, but also their psychological, social and emotional maturity. 49 The kinds of parents involvement are parents-teacher conferences, homework assistance tutoring, establishing a daily family routine, and home educational enrichment. 46 Soemiarti Patmonodewo, Pendidikan Anak Prasekolah, Jakarta: Rineka Cipta, 2003, p. 124 47 Ary H. Gunawan, Sosiologi Pendidikan: Suatu Analisis Sosiologi Tentang Pelbagai Problem Pendidikan, Jakarta: Rineka Cipta, 2000, p.49 48 http:www.nwrel.orgscpdsirs3cu6html 49 Evaries Rosita, “Parents’ role in lighting a fire”, Jakarta Post, 3 Jun. 2007, p.23,col. 1 While Soemiarti Patmonodewo, who has quoted from Morrison, said that parents’ involvements in education are 50 : Task oriented – parents help their children do homework Process oriented – parents choose proper textbook for their children Development oriented – parents develop their children’s potency

2. Parents’ Involvement in Teaching and Learning English as Foreign Language