As school cannot function without cooperation, the Drims School System at GSA Road over the weekend inducted its first elected Parent-Teacher Association’s (PTA) officers to promote academic goal through unity.
“The PTA is a vital bridge–a connecting force between the home and the school,” Elder Roosevelt Lakpor Zodon, Drims School System elected PTA Chairman, said during the induction ceremony on the school’s campus. “It is a platform where parents and teachers come together with one shared goal: the total development and success of our children.”
The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) was founded on February 17, 1897, in Washington, D.C., as the National Congress of Mothers. It was established by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst to improve children’s education, health, and well-being through parent and teacher collaboration.
Those elected and inducted into office are Elder Roosevelt Lakpor Zodon, Chairman; Patience W. Cooper, Co-Chair; Arthur V. Gargar, General Secretary; Jeremiah Yaweh, Financial Secretary; and Kebbeh Kpadeh, Assistant Financial Secretary.
The keynote speaker, Joash T. Hodges, informed his audience that education does not operate in insolation, noting that there should always be partnership between parents and teachers for students’ well-being.
“The role of a PTA serves as a platform for communication and understanding,” the keynote speaker said. “PTA formulates school policy and help to resolve the challenges that educators face.”
Guest speaker Hodges said parents and teachers’ collaboration promotes academic excellence, observing that when parents are involved schools are transparent and students are motivated to perform.
However, investigation has it that many school authorities currently disregard PTAs’ decisions and run autocratic administrations, a situation that undermines students’ well-being and perfect academic performance.
“Many schools do not understand PTA. They just collect PTA fee and do things on their own,” Morris Grant, PTA’s Chairman of Montserrado County, said. “Parents’ interest is the school’s well-being, students’ performance and clean environment.” He added that if the environment is not clean students will be sickly and a sick child cannot learn, and that is why parents are involved.
Guest speaker Hodges inducted the officers into office and charged them to work in the interest of parents, the school’s administration and Liberian education system.
“Education is not limited to textbook and classroom; education encompasses character formation, development and life skills,” Hodges said, warning parents and school administration to be proactive in preparing future leaders.
Frustratingly, the program was poorly attended; the Drims School System’s administration boycotted the program, Likewise the parents. This irritated the PTA’s Chairman, Elder Zodon, who compared them with the 10 leprous whom Jesus healed. Nine were ingrates, who never returned to thank Him.
In conclusion, Chairman Zodon thanked all for the trust reposed in him, and said with God’s help and their cooperation “we will move forward together for the growth, development and success of Drims’ School”.
