Parents missing in action

Where are our Jamaican parents? While it is true that many of our Jamaican parents are at present active and involved in their children's lives, the harsh reality is that many are missing in action, parenting from a distance.

With due respect to my fellow fathers, more male parents are missing in action than our female counterparts. Those missing in action are far too many for comfort and the time has come for us to turn the spotlight on the hundreds of biological parents who continue to evade their responsibilities as if it is fashionable.

The impact of parents missing in action is having a crippling effect on the efforts to restore the moral fibre in our society. Their absence is resulting in less-than-favourable outcomes in our education system. Their phantom-like existence is hurting efforts of restoring a country steep in financial worry, crime, violence and corruption.

It is hard to say no longer must we turn a blind eye because many who are looking and present in body are missing in action. The culture of silence must be broken if we are to regain any traction on this downward spiral called improper parenting.

Any effort to reform our education system must be geared towards improving the outputs and the outcomes of our primary stakeholders and, by extension, our country. These efforts cannot be attained if absentee and improper parenting reign and persist across our country. It is said that 'You must learn to dance a yard before you can dance abroad.' Well, who is teaching our children to dance a yard and what kind of dance are they being taught?

What we are seeing manifesting itself at the bus parks, on the buses and in the communities, and sometimes in the homes, makes it clear that we are in very serious trouble and could be sitting on a time bomb waiting to explode. The reality of missing in action as it relates to Jamaican parents must stop and no amount of politics and hypocrisy must be allowed to retard our efforts. We have to admit that as we examine the realities of our time, in a sense, many of us are asleep. Many of us are present in body but missing in many other ways. I again call on all Jamaicans to wake up. Wake up, Jamaica!

GOOD PARENTING, HUGE RESOURCE

As one who was raised by a firm, responsible single parent who never spared the rod in her effort not to spoil the child, I can tell the world that good parenting makes all the difference. I am from a very humble background. I can tell the world that it does not take 'dirty money' and handout to raise a child, who will become an adult and make a very positive impact on society.

The benefits of good parenting cannot be overestimated. Good, solid, positive parenting is a huge resource for any country, the value of which is so immense that it cannot be quantified.

The incidents of unpunctuality, non-compliance to school rules, loitering and aggression, which sometimes lead to crime and violence in our society, is resulting in many of our adolescents being blacklisted. This is a sign of a country heading in the wrong direction and a country in need of introspection by its own people. The final analysis is that we must assert the philosophy that we want for all our young and impressionable citizens to adhere to.

We must return to a time when the Church and school were the two institutions which were not optional for the majority of our nation's children. We must return to the days when the children belonged to the community and the elders were respected.

We must return to the days when education was valued and children sought to live out the mantra 'Labour for learning before you grow old, for learning is better than silver or gold. Silver and gold will vanish away, but a good education will never decay.'

We must return to the good old days when parents went to great lengths to ensure that children were not exposed to corruption, to the ills of society and to ill-mannerism. We must return to the days where the children had no choice but to obey their parents. Obedience is better than sacrifice.

We must return to the days when we valued each other and we respected each other's lives and property. We must return to the days when the village nurtured and admonished the child.

Talk will not do the work and I am in full agreement with this quote from Marcus Garvey, "Up, you mighty race, accomplish what you will."

Parents have a critical role to play in causing this mighty race of Jamaicans to accomplish what we will and, indeed, what we must. As citizens of this country, we have a moral obligation to stand up, stand out and let our voices be heard as we demand biological parents to step up to the plate and deliver the best that they can do in the interest of nation building.

May God help us to such an end.

Mark Nicely is president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.