This archive report was first published on 22 October 2019.
As a parent, I've always believed in stability for my children. I attended one institution from nursery to university, and I've carried that same philosophy into my parenting. My children have attended one primary school, one high school, and one institution of higher learning, only changing universities when it was time to further their education.
But what happens when a child is constantly moved from one school to another? I recently witnessed this firsthand when I met a mother at a parents' day meeting. She was a striking figure, dressed in a Manduli-type red and green head gear, glasses with huge round black frames, a green mermaid African dress, and red peep-toe stilettoes that thumped the tiles hard.
She was warm and inviting, but her behavior was puzzling. She started comparing the school with three others her daughter had attended, and it became clear that she was a nomadic student. She had moved schools so much that it was starting to affect her daughter's education.
It turned out that the mother was the problem, not the school. She was constantly complaining about the school food, clubs, pick-up time, and teaching methods on the parents' WhatsApp group. She even went so far as to physically confront the administration, asking if they knew who she was in this country.
As a parent, it's essential to remember that school teachers and administrators are human beings with feelings and emotions. Bullying them can make your child a marked student, and things will never be the same between them and the teachers, fellow students, and other supporting staff.
It's time for parents to take responsibility for their children's education and stop blaming the schools for their problems. If you find yourself constantly moving your child from one school to another, it's time to take a step back and reflect on your behavior.
