In her regular column on The Times, the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Dolores Cristina, deplored the absence of a parental organisation that constantly and consistently questions what is happening on behalf of minor children.
She said that parents seem to have abdicated their responsibilities and duties, expecting that the government, the Church, the school or other institutions should be the first guardians of their children. This is a contentious perception and though her comment may hold water, one must ponder the cause/s.
It was only last year that legislation was approved to give voluntary organisations legal status. When one considers that NGOs had been pleading for this legislation prior to 1987, the time span required to get the government to address this issue is not really reassuring.
Very often, parents, both individually and through NGOs, feel distressed that their concerns appear to be largely ignored. One can still remember how parents galvanised themselves into a formidable force to defend their rights in the educational sector when the Socialist government tried to impose its so-called reforms some 25 years ago.
Yet, despite promises to the contrary, participation of parents in fashioning change were only given lip service. Many parents very quickly realised that their opinion carried little weight and they were left to grapple with sudden and immediate changes in educational policies. The same applies to other concerns of parents such as the unnecessary risks their children are exposed to in the uncontrolled entertainment sector that caters for young people.
It is true that the government has recognised the contribution of a parents group concerned about alcohol consumption by minors and made amendments in legislation governing this issue. But, then again, are the old laws and the new ones being enforced? Enacting new laws is not enough to win over parental cooperation and involvement if the expected law enforcement lets them down.
Another problem lies in the fact that the parents who need to shout loudest are usually the more disadvantaged. According to the latest National Census (1995), 11 per cent of the population over 11 was illiterate and 52 per cent of the population aged over 16 did not complete secondary level education.
These dismal statistics are a rough indicator that the system is failing a sizable sector of the population.
The apathy of the parents comes as no surprise in the cultural realities unfolding in a country where family stability is under siege. The government has to gain the confidence and trust of parents by first of all having the right facts on issues which have an impact on children's best interests.
When a recent HBSC report claimed that children with single parents have leapt from 8.7 per cent to 37.6 per cent between 2002 and 2006, these startling and questionable statistics went officially unchalleneged by the Education Ministry notwithstanding the doubts expressed by usually reliable quarters.
Also, Mrs Cristina must be aware that many parents question the type of sex education programmes that seem to be adopted from overseas. Unless there is a dramatic change in the manner in which the government responds to problems facing our children, many parents will still feel that voicing their opinion in public is like baying at the moon. Mrs Cristina needs to work harder among her Cabinet colleagues in this regard.