How important is the role of parents in children's quality education?

This article discusses the role of parents and their influence on children's access to quality education. It covers analytical data on the active participation of parents in the educational process and their support for children. Analytical data is also provided on the formation of self-confidence, good educational outcomes, and developed social skills in children as a result of parental activity in education.

Today, the success of children's education depends on many factors. Among these factors, the role of parents, particularly parents, plays an important role. Research shows that children are more successful when parents are actively involved in their children's education and development. The active participation of fathers in schools and other educational institutions has a positive impact on children's education. Participating in parent meetings, helping their children with homework, and observing their educational activities increase children's success. Of course, cooperation between parents and the educational institution is also important. Because cooperation between parents and school has a direct impact on children's academic success.

Currently, several regulatory documents have been signed on the coordination of the activities of schools and parents. In particular, work on mutual cooperation will be organized on the basis of the "family-mahalla-educational institution" concept. However, such cooperation is very slow and many have become accustomed to only meetings and reports.

On June 19, 2012, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted Resolution No. 175 "On Measures to Further Develop the Interaction of the Family Institute and Citizens' Self-Government Bodies with Educational Institutions in the Upbringing of a Harmoniously Developed Generation," which outlined measures to strengthen the mechanism of cooperation "Family-Mahalla-Educational Institution."

Also, this year, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education published the book "Parents - Mentors" and held its presentation. Important recommendations were given on working closely with parents, assisting them in raising children, protecting young people from various destructive ideologies, and developing in children the skills of self-defense. However, such work is only related to theory, and its effectiveness is not felt in practice.

Theoretically, the "Family-Neighborhood-Educational Institution" cooperation mechanism should provide comprehensive support for children's education. However, in practice, this cooperation does not work sufficiently. Because communication between families, mahallas, and educational institutions is insufficiently established. In practice, these organizations should have been in constant contact and cooperation with each other, but this process is often left on paper. The reason is that there are no coordinated practical steps between families, mahallas and educational institutions. There is also no system for regular monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of this cooperation mechanism. As a result, it is not possible to increase the efficiency of the work being done.

To study the causes of the aforementioned problems, a survey was conducted among more than a thousand teachers and parents on the topic "The Role of Parents in Ensuring Children's Quality Education." According to the results of the survey, it was found that the cooperation of parents with the school is not well established. A total of 1,077 respondents participated in this survey, of whom 753 (69.9%) were teachers and 312 (29%) were parents.

Communication between school and parents is an integral part of the educational process. The quality level of this connection can have a significant impact on the success and well-being of students. The results of this recent survey also revealed interesting information about the partnership between parents and schools.

4.1% of respondents who participated in the survey said that parents have no contact with the school at all. This is a very small number, but it can lead to significant negative consequences.

72.1 percent of those surveyed reported that parents only contact the school when necessary. This indicator means that parents mainly contact the school only when important situations or problems arise. Such an approach can sometimes lead to delays in the timely knowledge and resolution of children's educational processes and problems.

3.6% of respondents reported contacting the school once a month, while 7.7% of respondents reported contacting the school once a week. This is a slightly better indicator, indicating that parents regularly monitor their children's learning process.

Finally, 4.3% of respondents stated that they communicate with the school every day. This figure is very small, but shows that some parents pay too much attention to the education and development of their children.

The overall survey results are very poor. This indicates a weak connection between parents and schools. The fact that 72.1 percent of respondents communicate with the school only when necessary means that cooperation between the school and parents is not well established. These figures show that parents do not pay enough attention to the educational process of their children, which can negatively affect the success and well-being of children.

In order for children to receive a quality education, it is also important for parents to discuss their children's successes at school. Close communication between parents and children, early identification of problems, and increased motivation make the learning process more effective. Active parental involvement and a serious attitude towards learning further enhance children's successful development and interest in learning. Therefore, one of the necessary needs is for parents to actively participate in the educational process of their children and regularly discuss their successes.

Research has shown that children whose parents spend almost every day simply chatting with them, having lunch or dinner together, or discussing their school achievements are more satisfied with life. That is, simple communication with parents has a stronger impact on students' satisfaction with life.

In the survey, 70.5 percent of respondents responded to the question of whether they notice changes in the education of children whose parents cooperate well with the school, stating that their learning outcomes have improved, while 24.7 percent also said that their discipline has improved. Also, 4% of respondents said that the changes were not noticeable, and 1% said that the results were satisfactory.

In a survey of parents and educators, we also focused on the importance of parents discussing their child's school achievements with their children in ensuring their children's quality education. To the question of how active parents are in controlling their children's homework and grades, 16.1% of respondents answered that parents are not active in this regard (not controlling at all), 41.2% of respondents answered that they are not active (rarely controlling), 28% of respondents answered that they are moderate (checking occasionally), 8.8% of respondents answered that they are slightly active (checking when they are approached), and only 4.7% of respondents answered that they are very active (checking constantly).

According to the results of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), only 5% of fathers in Uzbekistan participate in the educational process of their children. In the survey of the Multiple Indicator Cluster, organized for the third time in Uzbekistan, data was collected in more than 15,000 households located in 556 neighborhoods selected through on-site interviews with respondents. [2022 y.]

Analysis results show that a very large number of parents in Uzbekistan are not sufficiently active in controlling their children's homework and grades. This situation, in turn, may negatively impact children's quality education.

For example, when children were studying in primary grades (1-4 grades), the cooperation of parents with the school and the attention of their children to education were very high. Meanwhile, the activity index was 70-90%. That is, during this period, they devote more time to the education of their children, support them, and closely cooperate with the school. This, in turn, had a positive impact on the children's learning process.

The most interesting thing is that in the upper grades (5th-11th grade), there is a noticeable decrease in parents' attention to the education of their children. According to the survey, most parents showed less activity in their children's learning. 45.5% of respondents who participated in the survey said that parents were only 30-20% active in their children's education, while 31% of respondents said that parents were 40-50% active in their children's education. Only 18.6% of respondents said that parents actively participated in their children's education by 60-70%. Only 4.2% of respondents indicated that parents are 80-90% active in their children's education after their children move to higher grades (5th-11th grade).

Therefore, there is a sharp decrease in interaction between parents and the school when students move to high school. For example, the reasons for the emergence of such situations can be attributed to a change in the class teacher, the relative independence of children, insufficient communication between the class teacher and parents, a decrease in parents' interest in the educational process, and other similar factors.

This process may also have been influenced by the fact that students in high school begin to feel relatively independent. At this time, children may require more responsibility for their own learning processes and less intervention from their parents. This factor also weakens the partnership between parents.

The decline in parental attention to the educational process of students in high school can often be attributed to the inability of the class teacher to establish sufficient contact with parents. This problem can be explained by various factors. It is known that when a class teacher changes, establishing a close connection between parents and a new teacher is a process that requires time and more effort. Parental involvement in the learning process may decrease until collaboration with the new class teacher is sufficiently strengthened. Naturally, upper-class leadership is not the main work for educators, but an additional work. This may be the reason why teachers are unable to fully fulfill their responsibilities in classroom leadership.

It is known that by Order No. 41 of the Ministry of Public Education dated February 22, 2021, the requirements for class teachers were changed and a procedure for appointing a single class teacher from the 5th to the 11th grade was introduced. However, this procedure did not last long due to various factors. It is natural that their low monthly salaries, but the high workload, also caused them not to spend enough time working with their parents.

By the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. UP-6108 of November 11, 2020, starting from November 1, 2020, the monthly salary of class teachers was slightly increased. However, in the current regulations governing the activities of class teachers, the requirements for them are much higher than the monthly salary. Currently, the highest monthly salary for class teachers is 609,840 soums. 

The class teacher works with at least 30-40 students and their parents in the conditions of Uzbekistan. As noted above, the position of classroom leadership in senior grades may be imposed on subject teachers as an additional job, which may be an excessive burden on teachers. This, in turn, will have an impact on the weakening of cooperation with parents.

Only then will employees working in classroom leadership positions be able to work only with students in the classroom, engage in their education and upbringing, attendance, receive education for their assigned classmates, meaningfully organize their free time from classes, and solve problems arising in the learning process in collaboration with parents.

It is possible that a decrease in parents' interest in the educational process is also influencing the decrease in parental activity in senior (5-11) grades. Because in a survey conducted among parents and teachers, 72.8% of respondents expressed the opinion that this is due to a decrease in parents' interest in the educational process.

Why does parents' interest in the educational process decline when children go to high school?

Engaging students in more subjects and challenging topics in high school can be an additional burden on parents. At the same time, parents may encounter difficulties in explaining complex topics due to insufficient knowledge and resources, as well as lack of pedagogical skills. Parents who feel that their knowledge is insufficient can become discouraged, which can also affect the overall family environment and gradually cause parents to lose interest in the educational process.

Several solutions can be proposed to address the problems that lead parents to a decrease in the interest of high school students in the educational process. First and foremost, teachers and parents should meet regularly and exchange views on the educational process of children. To do this, necessary measures must be taken.

For example, it is important to create favorable conditions at the workplace for parents to actively participate in the educational process of their children. Employers should offer parents flexible working hours, and establish a practice of providing breaks with salary savings during various school events and meetings. At the same time, it is necessary to create an opportunity for parents to reduce working hours or provide them with additional leave at the beginning of school holidays.

This will allow parents to spend more time on their children's learning. It is also advisable to establish the practice of sending SMS notifications to employers and parents to provide them with timely and important information, informing employers and parents about parent meetings, meetings with the class teacher and other important meetings, various events held at school, and sending advice and recommendations for parents on education and upbringing.

SMS messages sent to parents and employers play a significant role in improving the educational process for children. Providing regular information about homework, lesson schedules, activities, and tips increases parents' engagement and helps ensure children's success. In order for parents to actively participate in the educational process of their children, it is necessary to start large-scale propaganda work, conduct research on their literacy level, and organize special trainings for parents.

Overall, the role of parents in ensuring children's quality education is invaluable. Their motivation, support, responsibility sharing, social and psychological support, communication with the school, creating a comfortable learning environment at home, and a serious attitude towards learning greatly contribute to children's success in the learning process. Effective cooperation between parents and the school serves as the most important factor in improving the quality of children's education.

List of references:

1. Andreas Schleicher, World Class: How to Build a 21st-Century School System.

2. Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers dated June 19, 2012 No. 175 "On measures to further develop interaction between the family institution and citizens' self-government bodies with educational institutions in the upbringing of a harmoniously developed generation."

3. Position instruction for class teachers, approved by Order No. 190 of the Ministry of Preschool and School Education dated June 27, 2023.

4. Ubaydullaeva R., Ata-Mirzaev O., Kuronov M. Family and upbringing of a harmoniously developed generation. - Тошкент: "Ижтимоий фикр," 2012, - P. 114-115.

5. Internet sources: www.stat.uz, www.xalqtaliminfo.uz.