Education is not a word that is restricted to a degree or certificate that can be displayed to others. Rather, it is a word that refers to our attitudes, language, actions, behavior, personality and relations with the world around us. Educating a child can therefore not be limited to the classroom but should be a team effort in which all members play their part.
There exists a triangular relationship in educating a child. This consists of the teacher, the parent (s) and the learner (the child). This triangular relationship is imperative in shaping the future of the child and ultimately the nation at large. The teacher and the parent have the sole mandate to develop the child to be the best version of themselves and this common desire and purpose is the glue to strengthening this triangular relationship.
Senior Education Specialist, Sivuyile Nongwe from Gauteng East, elucidated this relationship by saying that this trifold liaison is paramount to carry out the purpose in the best interests of the learner.
“The learner has the duty to attend classes, be punctual, adhere to uniform policies, be disciplined and depict dedication in their school work. On the other hand, the parent needs to ensure that the environment at home is conducive, healthy and the basic needs of the learner are attended to. The teachers’ duty is to then prepare, educate and assess the learner and develop them until they reach the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) so that when the learner leaves school, they are ready for society,” he explained.
When all these parties come to play, the learner will be shaped right into their predestined purpose and be a key player in the society at large. The teacher, parent and learner all need each other.
The teacher and the parent cannot hold the fort without the learner. This is evident in instances where the parent sends the learner to school prepared and the teacher comes to school to educate but the learner does not show interest in their school work by either not doing their homework and assessments or missing lessons. This contributes to the failure of the relationship.
The same goes for how the learner and the parent cannot function without the teacher. The parent may provide all basic needs and the learner may be in a fertile ground, but without the teacher doing justice in the classroom and planting the seed of knowledge, it will all be in vain.
In the same breath, the teacher and the learner need the parent to ascertain a healthy environment, opportune to the evolution of the learner, to maintain the triangular foundation
A practical example of a rigid trifold relationship is pertaining to homework given at school. It is the responsibility of the teacher to educate the learner and give them homework as a means of assessing their comprehension. The learner has the responsibility to also listen attentively, apply the knowledge taught by doing their homework. The parent has the duty not to write the homework for the learner, but to monitor that the learner does their homework. Post-assessment, the teacher will then report to the parent on the progress of the child through the report cards issued every term.
Nongwe quoted section 29(1) of the Constitution of South Africa saying, “Learners have the right to basic education, and they also have the responsibility to ensure that they grab the right with both hands through the depiction of zeal and diligence in their school work.”
He said that the learner is accountable to both the teacher and the parent, the teacher is also accountable to the South African Council for Educators (SACE) which regulates teacher conduct. Teachers also ought to adhere to the Personnel Administrative Measures (PAM) document issued by the DBE to stipulate and synchronize the job description of the teacher.
You teach a child- you teach a family, you teach a family- you teach the society, you teach the society- you teach a nation. A journey of a thousand miles towards building a taught nation starts with the single step of the teacher-parent-learner triangular relationship.