Parents are considered the first teachers of their children, emphasizing the importance of their

involvement through the learning process of a child. Though, when the time comes for the
child to go to school, the involvement of parents in school affairs generally declines. If at all,
parental involvement arises only in situations where a student has poor academic
performance, or negative behavior. Still, the involvement of parents in the child’s course of
learning can have beneficial outcomes for the academic motivation and performance of the
student.

Parental involvement is operationally defined as the active participation of families and

communities in creating a caring and conducive learning environment (Brito & Abulon, 2017).
Filipino parents have a high regard for the importance of education, partly due to the
deprivation experienced in a third world country, and the importance of college degrees in
acquiring high-paying jobs (Florido, 2006). There is a common saying among Filipino parents
that the only inheritance they can give to their children is education. Despite this cultural
reality, the completion rate of students from Grade 1 falls around 48%, while the completion of
students who started on the first year of their middle school falls around 70% (Florido, 2006). In
most cases, parents willingly support the educational needs of their children, particularly in
providing school material needs and tuition fees (Cadosales, et. al, 2017). Unfortunately, due to
the filial responsibilities engrained in the Filipino culture, there are instances in the lower
socioeconomic class where the needs of the family overtake the needs of an individual child
(Bartolome, et. al, 2017). This frequently results to a halt in the education of the child.

Despite this drawback, the involvement of parents in the Philippines can be evidently observed
in Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) meetings and Brigada Eskwela. Parents-Teachers
Association meetings serve as avenues for teachers and parents to have open dialogue
regarding the academic and personal welfare of the students (Bartolome et al., 2017). Brigada
Eskwela, done in the Filipino spirit of bayanihan and pakikipagkapwa, brings the community
and school closer through the annual renovation and repair of public school classrooms and
utilities (Bartolome et al., 2017).

However, less emphasis is given on the participation of parents in the academic endeavors of
their children. Although parents frequently attend class meetings with teachers during card
distribution, less presence can be felt on other parts of the process of the child’s learning,
particularly in tutoring their children and in guiding them in doing homework (Cadosales et al.,
2017). This is primarily brought about by the lack of self-confidence in parents, especially in
more difficult subjects in further grade levels (Hill & Taylor, 2004). The aforementioned matter
is especially true for parents who come from a lower socioeconomic class. In general, the
active participation of parents decreases as the child transitions from elementary level to high
school (Hill & Taylor, 2004).

Despite these realities, one cannot deny the positive effects of parental involvement. There
was a study involving 20 low-performing students who were supported with academic
interventions after regular classes, and home visitations which occurred every month. With the
parents being aware of their child’s academic situation, words of affirmation and
encouragement became a frequent occurrence (Brito & Abulon, 2017). In the end, the students
demonstrated an increase in their tests scores, and a heightened motivation to study and
further improve (Brito & Abulon, 2017).

It is important to nuance this concept since parents should recognize that there should be a
balance with their involvement. On one extreme, excessive parental involvement can result to
dependence, leaving the child with impaired social function in his/her adulthood. On another
extreme, if parental involvement is limited in the aspect of low academic performance or
negative attitude and behaviors, many youths can feel immense pressure since there is a
stigma towards struggling students (Mueller & Abrutyn, 2016)

Certainly, teachers have a very crucial role to play. For one, their participation in the continuing
professional development of teachers should be done not only in observance of the law
(Department of Education, n.d.), but also as it helps them be equipped in handling various
situations, especially when it comes to maintaining cordial relations with the parents of their
students. Furthermore, exerting additional effort to make home visitations can also create
ripples of change with the performance and motivation of students. Doing home visitations
can help increase parental involvement to detect problems early (Brito & Abulon, 2017). There
are, however, practical concerns that can be legitimately raised, such as the effects of “Tiger”
and “Helicopter” parenting styles on the academic performance and motivation of a child.

Ultimately, a higher quality of parent-teacher relationship paves the way for the improvement
of a student’s academic achievement and social development. As the main link of the parents
to the school, teachers should take further steps in enhancing parent-teacher relationship,
focusing more on the cultural factors which can affect the holistic development of the student.
After all, improvement in the holistic development of the child has always been about finding
the right balance between parental and teacher involvement throughout the learning process.

References:

Bartolome, M. T., Mamat, N., & Masnan, A. H. (2017). Parental Involvement in the Philippines: A
Review of Literatures. International Journal of Early Childhood Education Care, 6, 41–
50.

Brito, N. D., & Abulon, E. L. R. (2017). Facilitating Learning Through Parent-Teacher Partnership
Activities. The Normal Lights, 11(1), 74–90.

Cadosales, R. B. Q., Mastofske, M. M., & Razonable, J. Y. C. (2017). Students’ Relationship with
Parents: Basis for an Action Plan. Scientific and Academic Publishing, 7(2), 22–27.
https://doi.org/10.5923/j.edu.20170702.02

Department of Education. Professional Ethics of Teachers.

Florido, M. A. M. (n.d.). Educational Profile of the Philippines.

Hill, N. E., & Taylor, L. C. (2004). Parental School Involvement and Children’s Academic
Achievement : Pragmatics and Issues. Sage Publications, 13(4), 161–164.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2004.00298.x

Mueller, A. S., & Abrutyn, S. (2016). Adolescents under Pressure. American Sociological Review,
23.