By Firdous Ahmad Najar
Parental neglect during a child’s early education can have serious effects on their future learning and overall development. The early years of life, from birth to eight years, are the most crucial period for a child’s growth. During this time, nearly 90% of brain development takes place. Every experience, interaction, and environment shapes how a child thinks, learns, and behaves later in life.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recognizes this critical stage and emphasizes the importance of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). It has introduced several initiatives like Kindergarten, NIPUN Bharat, Balvaitka and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) to ensure that children develop strong learning foundations. These programs aim to make early education inclusive, engaging, and accessible for all children.
A child’s environment plays a key role in their early development. A supportive and nurturing environment helps children build relationships, learn self-control, and develop curiosity. Through play, meaningful conversation, and exploration, children learn to communicate, think critically, and solve problems.
However, while schools and teachers play their part, parents remain the first and most important teachers. Their actions, words, and attitudes shape the child’s understanding of the world. A caring home environment,where parents talk to their children, read with them, and provide emotional support,lays the foundation for lifelong learning. The values and habits children pick up at home often stay with them throughout life.
Education is a shared duty. A teacher teaches in school, but the parent continues that teaching at home. Parents should make sure their children go to school daily, do their homework, behave well, and show interest in learning. They should talk to teachers, visit the school, and check their child’s progress. Sadly, many parents think their responsibility ends when they send the child to school. This mindset must change. The real education of a child starts at home, long before the school begins.
Unfortunately, many parents, especially in government school settings, fail to recognize their crucial role in their child’s education. They often rely solely on teachers and schools to handle all aspects of learning and character building. This detachment harms children’s academic and emotional growth.
A recent incident from my own school reflects this attitude clearly. In the month of September, the government directed school heads to convey parents regarding the opening of Aadhaar-linked bank accounts for their children, so that financial assistance of ₹600, meant for school uniforms, could be directly transferred to their accounts through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer).
Despite repeated requests through phone calls and home visits, most parents did not respond. Finally, the concerned higher authorities had to instruct school heads to complete the process of account opening and Aadhaar linking by themselves. It was disappointing to see such indifference, even when it was a direct financial benefit for their own children.
When parents are not interested in taking such small steps, where the benefit is immediate, how can we expect their active engagement in their child’s learning and development? This clearly shows how parents are neglecting the sacred duty of educating their children.
Parental neglect can be compared to an unskilled worker laying the foundation of a building. No matter how skilled the later builders are, the structure will always remain weak if the foundation is not strong. Similarly, if the home environment is not conducive and doesn’t support a child’s overall development, even the best teachers cannot ensure a child’s success.
Teachers, who work with dedication and hope, often bear the burden of this neglect. They spend hours nurturing, guiding, and teaching students, but without support from home, their efforts lose much of their impact.
The collaboration between parents and teachers is essential. When both work together, children not only perform better academically but also grow emotionally and socially.
When parents fail to engage meaningfully in their child’s education, this lack of involvement leads to poor performance, low motivation, and weak self-esteem. Such children often struggle to compete and adapt in later stages of life.
Ultimately, this neglect does not just affect individual students but weakens the progress of society and the nation as a whole.
“The home is the child’s first school, and the parent is the first teacher. When this first teacher neglects the child’s learning, it creates a void that no policy or school program can ever fill.”
Now, the only way forward is to get the parents on board and make them aware about this sacred responsibility. For that, our education system needs to make some important changes.
We must design policies that involve parents as key stakeholders. They should be made aware that education is not an expense, but the best investment for the future of their children.
Instilling a sense of awareness among parents is vital for nurturing future generations. Encouraging them to understand their responsibilities is not about adding pressure, but about empowering them to take an active role in their children’s lives.
This change could foster a more enriching environment where both home and school work in harmony to guide children toward their potential.
They should be encouraged to visit schools regularly, attend Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs), and monitor their child’s learning at home. Community meetings, awareness camps, and village-level education drives can help parents understand their roles better. Once parents realize their power in shaping their child’s life, change will follow naturally.
Addressing this issue requires a joint effort from all stakeholders,like education department, teachers, and the community. Parents must be guided and motivated to become active participants in their child’s education. By fostering stronger partnerships between home and school, we can ensure that every child receives the guidance and encouragement they need to thrive.
In conclusion, Parental neglect during early childhood is not a small mistake, it is a serious threat to the child’s future. If we want to see an educated, disciplined, and progressive generation, then parents must show genuine interest, communicate with teachers and create a positive home environment. The journey of learning begins at home, and when homes become classrooms of love, care, and learning, schools will become centers of excellence.
The writer is a teacher from Arin Bandipora and can be reached at njfirdous090@gmail.com
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