Parents in St Vincent and the Grenadines have been reminded that their responsibilities do not end with the graduation of their children from primary school. This was the message from Sheri Edwards as she delivered the feature address at the graduation ceremony of the Belair Government School on Friday July 30, held at the All Saint Medical School.

SHERI EDWARDS delivering the feature address

“Let me admonish you; your responsibility does not end here,” Edwards stated as she urged parents to focus on the process, and not the product.

“Focus on the process they used to get that grade. If your child received a less than pleasing grade, instead of chiding and berating them, begin to ask questions such as … what did you do to get this grade? What are you going to do differently next time?”

She called on parents to be involved in the solution, even if it means “staying up to study with them. You may not know the information, but you can just keep them company.”

Parents were urged to maintain a healthy sleep schedule, for “kids also need the right amount of sleep to be alert and ready to learn all day.”

Further, they were advised to “keep home communication lines open. Parental involvement positive home-school communication, have been associated with improved grades, positive behaviour and attitudes about learning, increased participation and increased attendance.”

Additionally, James asked parents to thank teachers for their efforts on behalf of their children as this lets the teachers know that they are respected and appreciated for what they do, and how they do it.

“Don’t bash or undermine a teacher in front of the kids. Kids hear what you say about teachers, and it is essential to preserve the student/teacher relationship at all costs,” she pointed out.

Valedictorian Zaronique John, told the gathering of students, parents and well-wishers of the difficulties occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, and then the explosive eruptions of La Soufriere volcano which began on April 9, 2021.

She also spoke about the efforts of teachers to send work to their students via WhatsApp and YouTube, but “many of us did not have the devices, and had to depend on our parents’ cell phones. So when parents were at work, students had no means to do the assignments which were sent.”

Then when they received devices provided for by the Government, “The Internet was a problem at times. Some persons were not joining classes but we tried our best. Our teachers would call parents to remind them that class was in session, and we had not joined.”

John received the Curtis King Award for Social Studies, the Dionne John Award for Language Arts, the Belair Government School award for Science, and the Principal’s Award for being the Most Outstanding Student.