The quality of society is a direct function of the quality and values of the members comprising it. Certain individuals are of the view that it is the parents’ onus to mould children into good societal members; however, there are those who deem school to be the legitimate avenue for the same. Agreeing with the age old adage of home being the first school, my opinion indeed leans towards parents being the primary educators responsible for a socially conducive upbringing.
To being with, schools are the true centres for a diverse and large scale social exposure, wherein children learn first hand and also by example the principle of cause and effect. This helps them segregate wrong from right and hence develop into a conscientious adult. Furthermore, the existence of a virtuous schooling system is underpinned and assured by principles such discipline and decorum – values that manifest in its pupils turning them into worthy members of the community. For instance, deprived, unschooled individuals are often found to be more self-involved, myopic and indifferent towards the needs of others vis-à-vis the schooled ones who readily exhibit noble social traits such as responsibility and duty.
On the other hand, home being the prior ground for education-especially moral- nurtures the quintessential ‘human’ side of growing individuals that plays the framework for all future scholastic social interaction. Additionally, the significance
of parental education is underscored further by the fact that the impressionability of children peaks during the youngest years as they accept good moral principles sans questioning, and the same gets indelibly stamped upon their psyches. For instance, parents who fastidiously nurture the value framework of their young one(s) are more likely to grow into morally upright citizens than those who were overlooked in the formative years.
In summation, the fabric of any society is its members and their quality and fitness, in turn, decides the society’s. It is my belief that the importance of parental tutelage can never be overemphasised as it serves the basis for the more subsequent school education.