JAY JOSHI
Kids’ education is an important and sensitive topic, and the role of parents is very important. The child’s brain develops rapidly till the age of eight years, and the parents, being the biggest influence on the child at this crucial time, have to invest in the child. What role do parents play, and how can they make the most of the opportunity to mould the child during these sensitive years? These key questions will be examined at the special discussion programme titled Palak Samvad’ which will be held in Duler, Mapusa on July 14.
The programme is being conducted by Gomantak Bal Shikshan Parishad, an organisation which has been working for the past 12 years to build innovative practices and create literature for pedagogy in pre-primary and primary education. The last date for registration to part take in this programme is July 10
“The central theme of the discussion is ‘Conversation, Participation, and Quality time, expressed in Marathi as ‘Samvaad, Sahabhag, Sahavas,” explains Dhanashree Manerikar, a member of Gomantak Bal Shikshan committee, and in-charge of the upcoming event. “Little kids learn more by observing parents in everyday life. Hence, it is important for parents to be careful about how they behave, not just with the children, but also in general when children are around. The discussion session will look at how parents can utilize this tremendous observation and learning capacity of kids, build positive communication with them, and empower them,” she adds.
Apart from building positive communication with kids, the discussion session will also look at how parents can spend quality time with kids. This area has a number of aspects, notes Manerikar. “Both working parents as well as housewives are welcome for the programme. While we look at how working parents can spend quality time with kids, it has been observed that the children of working parents tend to be more independent as compared to the kids of stay-at-home mothers. So, while giving time to the child is important, stay-at-home mothers should also try to make their kids independent. The programme will also discuss how this balance can be achieved between love and independence,” the event in-charge elaborates.
That said, many programmes of Bal Shikshan Parishad have been conducted in Marathi schools, and the organisation’s reach in English medium schools is limited, and to expand its reach, the organisation is making efforts to eliminate a fundamental difference between how pre-primary and primary education is seen in the two different mediums, says Manerikar.
“The central thought of Bal Shikshan Parishad is that a child should not be made to write until the age of five. This is because their finger muscles are weak till this point of time.
This has been emphasized by a number of international studies. In Marathi pre-primary education, the emphasis is laid on learning by listening to stories, songs, and there is not much writing.
Marathi schools agree with our viewpoint. However, English medium places a premium on writing. Explaining our viewpoint to English medium teachers and parents is something that needs work,” she states, adding that the organisation is indeed set to expand its footprint in the near future.
The programme is free of cost, and is open to all sections of the society connected to children including parents, teachers, day-care centres, and others but the seats are limited. This is a deliberate decision on the part of the organisers, Manerikar clarifies. “Marketing is not our intent. The goal of the programme is to bring parents together to discuss what could be done for kids.
The number of seats has been kept limited so that all those present get a chance to speak and present their views. In the long run, this session could help build an active group of parents which could take the discussion forward in the future,” says the event in-charge.
