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It is becoming increasingly difficult for parents to understand the
challenges their children are facing as they make their way through the
formal school system today. Everyone knows how important it is going to be
for a person to have some form of post-secondary training in order to
enter into meaningful careers in the future, but the fact is that half of
all students who begin Junior Kindergarten will only go as far as Grade 12
or drop out of school even before obtaining a secondary diploma. Children
from stable families with highly educated parents are just as much at risk
as anyone else of being included in this group of young people who will
terminate their education at or before the end of high school.
Parents with a high
level of education themselves who wish for their children to follow in
their footsteps find it especially difficult to cope with children who do
not share their passion for learning. Unfortunately, in their desire
to instill a love of learning within their children, parents sometimes
create additional pressure and anxiety that produces quite the opposite of
their desired goal and they actually turn their children off learning
instead.
J.D. Rockefeller once
said "The Road to happiness lies in two simple principles: find
what it is that interests you and that you can do well, and when you find
it put your whole soul into it - every bit of energy and ambition and
natural ability you have." The main responsibility of all parents
today is to be facilitators, helping their children discover their own
"road to happiness", and often the road taken by their children
is much different from that which they took themselves.
THE NEED FOR A PROFESSIONAL ADVISOR
Besides
the obvious responsibilities of parents with respect to providing adequate
food, clothing and shelter for their children, as well as for creating a
home environment which is conducive to learning, there is much more that
must be done if children are indeed going to be able to maximize their
true potential as far as their formal education training is concerned. The
first step in the road to success may well be the acceptance by parents
that they cannot fulfil their obligations alone.
For example:
- When
you have health concerns for yourself or your family, you turn to your
family doctor for advice.
- When
you have questions about investments or insurance, you turn to your
financial advisor for assistance in making the right choices.
- When
you have legal difficulties, you turn to your lawyer to represent you
and help you through the legal process to solve your problems.
- In
order to maintain proper dental health, you visit your dentist
regularly for checkups and treatment.
I
could continue this list indefinitely, bringing into consideration
accountants, chiropractors, massage therapists, optometrists, real estate
agents, etc.
Anyone who is a parent
of a child in elementary, secondary or post-secondary school will tell you
that from the time a child begins Junior Kindergarten to the time the
child graduates and begins a career, everything, and I mean everything
that goes on around a home or that involves the entire family is affected
by education. Vacations are planned around school schedules. Homework has
a direct impact on what goes on around the home in the evenings.
Decisions must always take into consideration the needs and
responsibilities of children who are attending school.
And yet, even though
education has a tremendous impact on all areas of your life, when you have
a concern about your child's education, who do you turn to for advice?
When it comes to virtually every other area of one's life there is a
trusted person you can turn to who you know will be there to provide you
with guidance and advice when you need it the most. And quite often that
person has included you on his/her "client list" so that you are
always given immediate attention when it is needed. You do not go to a
different dentist whenever you have problems with your teeth. You go to a
family dentist who knows your history.
THE ROLE OF YOUR FAMILY EDUCATION AGENT
Our
society has now reached the "Tipping Point" with respect to
education. The whole education, career and personal development process
has become so complex that it is no longer possible for parents to simply
sit back and "accept" what is happening to their children. There
is a new form of practitioner emerging in society today called an
"Independent Education Agent" who will soon be added to the list
of professionals to whom parents can turn in fulfilling their role as
"facilitators" in the education of their children. I believe
that, in the not-so-distant future, all parents will be seeking to be
added to the "client list" of a private sector "Education
Agent". Parents will feel comfortable knowing that they have their
own personal "Independent Education Agent", just as they will
knowing that they have their own family doctor, dentist, lawyer, etc.
Your "Family
Education Agent" will be a person to whom you can turn when you need
personal tutoring help from time to time for your children; when you need
advice on recommendations being made by school administrators; when you
have potential legal issues involving the school board; when you need
representation in school matters; when you need advice on subject
selection in secondary school programs; when you need to develop a career
strategy for your child; and when you need information about any and all
education, career and personal development matters concerning any and all
members of your family. Your "Family Education Agent" will work
cooperatively with your child's teachers, but at least you will be more
aware of your own rights and options and will be in a better position to
fulfil your responsibilities to your children.
Lifelong Learning is
something that is going to take on more meaning in the next couple of
decades. Career life-cycles are shortening and it will be common practice
for children who are currently in elementary, secondary and post-secondary
schools to change careers up to a dozen times during the course of their
life. Each of these changes may require additional education and training.
It is going to be important to be able to turn to someone you can trust
for advice in making the right choices. Even baby boomers are looking
forward to their 60's as a time for renewal, not retirement, and they too
will be turning to education for training to enter "twilight
careers" that will take them into their late 70's. "Independent
Education Agents" are going to be a necessity in the future.
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