PARENTS! – What Really Matters

The months of September and October this year bring special significance for parents and students alike. The results of CAPE, CSEC, and SEA are all released and with it, the flood of emotions in reaction to those results. Already, we are seeing a wave of discontent with the results of CAPE and CSEC with parents, teachers, and students alike all voicing their disapproval with the results. This is understandable and to be expected, given the significance that we place on these results on the outcome of our children’s lives.

Our children’s grades do not define who they are today or who they will be tomorrow

It is important to engender a sense of justice and reward-for-effort in our children, but this must be balanced with the belief that our children’s grades do not define who they are today or who they will be tomorrow. Take the case of the SEA for example. Our collective history is replete with examples of both people who were not stellar achievers at age 11 but who accomplished great things later on, and persons for whom SEA results turned out to be the highpoint of their academic achievement. It takes years and years of discipline and perseverance to accomplish the greatest achievements in life and as parents, we must place premium focus on ensuring that our children understand that school is a dress rehearsal for life, and not the be all and end all of it although it can sometimes seem to be that way.

School is a dress rehearsal for life, and not the be all and end all of it

The values that we learn as students – discipline, focus, repetition, and sacrifice are the real rewards of our school experience. Let us never lose sight of this as parents. These are the qualities that will determine whether our children become the world leaders, influencers and trendsetters that we often are or whether we retain the label of third world, allowing people from larger land masses to determine who we are in the International landscape. We may be smaller in number but we are denser in talent than many others who also call this blue-green globe home.

The real grades are only given at the end of your life when others reflect on your legacy

Regardless of the results your children are awarded, please ensure that they never lose sight that the race isn’t over until it’s over and that the real grades are only given at the end of your life when others reflect on your legacy. Stay close to your kids, show interest and be passionate about them, love them up, celebrate with them, console them if need be, but always remind them that they alone have the power in their hands to be the winner that they want to be. Then support them as they do it.