Parents, Teachers and Community Relations in Promoting Learning in the Secondary School System in Nigeria

Schooling, a relatively recent invention which emerged as society became more complex, has become the major agent of education worldwide. Being that schools do not exist in a vacuum, they alone cannot successfully perform this function. Because schools emanate from communities, the latter must exercise ownership by being both the determiners and determinants of education. This paper therefore presents how a relationship can be formed among the principal stakeholders – parents, teachers and community to foster quality in education, a situation in which the student is the immediate beneficiary and the society the ultimate beneficiary. If teacher/school treats parent/community as powerless or unimportant, the latter will be discouraged from taking interest in school thus promoting the development of attitudes which inhibit achievement among students. Conversely schools that synergistically work with these stakeholders do better in all areas.

Schooling, a relatively recent invention which emerged as society became more complex, has become the major agent of education worldwide. Being that schools do not exist in a vacuum, they alone cannot successfully perform this function. Because schools emanate from communities, the latter must exercise ownership by being both the determiners and determinants of education. This paper therefore presents how a relationship can be formed among the principal stakeholders – parents, teachers and community to foster quality in education, a situation in which the student is the immediate beneficiary and the society the ultimate beneficiary. If teacher/school treats parent/community as powerless or unimportant, the latter will be discouraged from taking interest in school thus promoting the development of attitudes which inhibit achievement among students. Conversely schools that synergistically work with these stakeholders do better in all areas.