Strengthening PTCA for Quality Education

Parents, Teachers and Community Association or PTCA

As you know, I am a parent of six children who are all boys. As such, it is my primary duty to provide them with education which prepares them for life. This essential duty is enshrined in our constitution and to say in part, “it is the natural right of parents to rear the youth for civic efficiency and to develop their moral values and this shall receive aid and support of the government”. So, I enlisted myself as an active member of the association of parents and teachers with the end in view of contributing a simple yet noble share of supporting the school in its education-related teachers with problems facing the education of our children? How well have we followed the agreements made? How sincere have we been in committing our support to the cause of our children’s education?

With the organization of Parents, Teachers and Community Association or PTCA, we parents have been given the golden opportunity to really get involved.

With a strong association of parents, teachers and the community who are all dedicated to the common task of providing quality education to our activities that require the assistance of parents.

Through the years, I have come to personally realize that providing education to our children and our youth is not just the sole responsibility of teachers. Rather, it is a join endeavor and functional partnership of the home and the school. We, parents, justified ourselves by saying that we were behind their education simply because we paid the cost of books and other contributions. It is now that we know too well how inadequate this support was. For one thing, you, teachers, school authorities, and we, the parents identify ourselves as educators because of our commonality of purposes to educate our children. Collaboration, therefore, with each other, is the same of the game.

Obviously, it is not gain saying that a strong bonding between the parents and the teachers is necessary. A strong association of the parents and the teachers is essential. As the words of wisdom put it, “in unity, there is strength”, especially now when our country is plagued with malignant problems of criminality, drug abuse, immorality, poverty, injustice, graft and corruption.

Let me ask our parents these questions: How often have we consulted children and our youth, we can overcome all obstacles that may stand in our way, meet any hardship, beat any foe and accomplish everything to ensure the success of our endeavors.

Citing specifics on some ways to strengthen PTCA for quality education, I am sure you will agree with me that there are a thousand and one ways of attaining this noble end. However, I will only enumerate those which are based upon our common observations and perceptions.

11 Ways to Strengthen Parents, Teachers and Community Association or PTCA for Quality Education

1. Parents and educators must primarily agree and come up with mutually acceptable objectives to attain quality education.

2. Let the school administrators set consultative processes whereby the view of all those concerned with education, especially the parents can be heard.

3. Extra-curricular and fund raising activities should be deliberately done, and if these are put up, they should promote the educational, cultural and sports advancement of the teachers and our children.

4. DEPED, in coordination with appropriate government agencies should hold seminars or symposia on effective parenting, nutrition, early childhood education and other relevant topics which enrich our capabilities to support the system and assist in the education of our children.

5. Regular homeroom consultations among parents and educators would be very ideal to assess child/student academic performance at every rating period to arrive at workable strategies for improvement.

6. The PTCA officials may be included in planning educational projects and programs as well as in coming up with functional strategies for implementation to strengthen the parents’ capabilities to support the school.

7. Parent’s participation in decision making and involvement should be sought on written policies and procedures for school effectiveness.

8. DEPED shall furnish the PTCA officials through the President, memoranda and other relevant materials specifically those aimed at attaining quality education of school children. The parents should be kept informed with the DEPED thrusts and program on education so that they can rally behind them.

9. Guidelines defining clearly the scope and limitations of PTCA’s in the school management as per Resolution No. 1, s. 1997 adopted during the Zone 4 Tri-Regional Parents forum should be issued to the field for reference and guidance of all concerned.

10. A parents’ forum should be a regular activity, as per Resolution No. 1, s. 1997 adopted during the Zone 4 Tri-Regional Parents Forum.

11. The school should have a directory of parents with their profile. This will provide information about their expertise so that the school can readily tap these human resources. For instance, when a parent is a specialist in Library Science, perhaps she may be of help to the school in setting up a functional school library. In this manner, the problem of non-readers may be partly, if not totally eradicated.

The foregoing proposals are just a few but relevant issues that need to be addressed. We should start now. We should be doing it right now. As the saying goes, “We adults can probably wait, but our children cannot”. They have to grow and to progress. With a strong organization of parents and teachers, there is no reason why we cannot provide our children with quality education.

Edgar R. Quano
President, Central Visayas Federation of PTCA’s
Featured Photo from EDC Philippines