School vs Parents - Sample

Education is a looming concern of many societies, as our species have come to understand its importance. Nevertheless, there are debates raging about the exact share of this responsibility: is it the job of parents or educational institutions to instill in children the appropriate behavior and aptitudes required to flourish in modern society? However, this essay will argue that both are equally important and indispensable in a child’s upbringing.

Parents are unequivocally crucial in the development of children. Researchers have determined that a child’s personality and abilities are shaped quite early in their life, maybe even as young as 2 or 3 years old. As this is a period where few people send their offspring to school, most of what children pick up and incorporate during this time is from caregivers - parents, mostly. Even when children come of age and attend schools, they still spend considerable time at home interacting with their parents. As such, it is vital that parents utilize such opportunities to aid their children in becoming productive and progressive members of society.

However, schools also have an important role to play. Educational institutions are where children have the ability to interact with their peers and teachers. In other words, these are chances to apply and adapt moral, ethical, social, and behavioural lessons that they have learned, either at school or at home. These are things that parents cannot provide on their own, and therefore require the help of schools. Indeed, students who are homeschooled are known to do equally well academically as their fellow peers, but often suffer from inadequate and underdeveloped social skills. Thus, children should be given the opportunity to expand and build upon the foundation acquired at home by attending school.

To summarize, both schools and parents are equally important in the development of children. Parents are afforded many opportunities to nurture and mold their child at home, whereas schools offer a safe environment where children can learn through interaction with peers and other authority figures.