The much needed co-operation can be secured by the school by taking a number of important steps and by organising a number of activities. Some of such important steps and activities are mentioned below:
1. Parent-Teacher Association:
The chief instrument of bringing the school and home closer to each other is the formation of parent-teacher association. Such an association should be organised in every school. At least twice or thrice a year, this association should meet to exchange mutually the views about the progress, growth and problems of children at home and school.
On these occasions, both the teacher and the parents should understand each other’s limitations and difficulties and try to help each other in the solution of those difficulties. The opinions of the parents should be accepted and they should be given a feeling that the school is there and it belongs to them.
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Their suggestions for the improvement of the school be implemented according to the resources of the school. Thus, a parent-teacher association should be a fact-finding and problem-solving body and act as such.
2. Parents Day:
Once a year, a day of the school programmes should be set apart for inviting the parents of pupils, studying in the school to the school. On this occasion they should be taken round the school and shown what is actually going on in the school.
An exhibition of the work of pupils and a display of curricular activities may also be organised on this occasion. After this survey of the school programme, the parents and the teachers should meet over a cup of tea.
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Then the Headmaster should explain to the parents the difficulties and the problems confronted by the school. Problems of individual children may also be discussed with parents and their co-operation sought in the solution of those problems.
3. Visiting-Teachers:
Some of the school teachers may be entrusted with the duty of visiting the homes of children after school hours. Through such visits, parents may be informed about the educational progress of their children in the class and their emotional development and general behaviour in and outside the class-room. Parents of problem and mentally-handicapped children should be frequently contacted.
Such visits will help the school to know a lot about the physical and social conditions of children studying there and thereby handle them in a psychological way. The visiting teachers should place their reports in the staff meeting so that the teachers concerned may chalk out plans for the improvement of abnormal cases in the light of that information.
Thus, the two great factors-the school and the home-influencing the life of the child, can be made to work together for bringing about the maximum possible development of the child.
4. Inviting Parents to School Functions:
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Parents should be invited to school on various functions organised by the school. These functions may include the Sports Day, the Prize Distribution Day, the Parents Day, the Variety Show Programme and Celebration of Independence Day, the Republic Day or the U.N.O. and Human Rights Day. On such occasions, some of the educated parents or highly placed old students of the school may be asked to preside or deliver speeches as the case may be. Such occasions will encourage parents to associate themselves very closely with the work and ideals of the school.
5. Reports on the Work and Progress of Children:
There is yet another important means of securing co-operation between school and home. It is that of sending regular reports on the work and progress of children to the parents concerned, on each occasion when an assessment is made.
An abstract of the cumulative record of each pupil maintained in the school, should also be sent to parents for information and signature, as the child is promoted from class to class. This will enable the parents to know in detail about the physical, academic, social and moral development of their children in school. Thus, the school will be able to supply those elements of training which the parents are not in a position to supply, for no fault of theirs.
Basic schools with all their community and social service activities, play a very important role in bringing the school and the home closer together in the task of children’s education.