(Jiangsu Normal University, Source: Visual China)
Parent committee, a word that appears quite frequently in primary and secondary schools, has often appeared in universities recently-
Not long ago, the preparatory meeting of the Undergraduate Parents Committee of Jiangsu Normal University was held, and the "Articles of Association of the Parents Committee of Jiangsu Normal University" were jointly reviewed and approved, and the candidates for director, deputy director and secretary general were selected.
Although it may seem new that universities have set up parent associations, it is not an exception. Judging from the earlier explorations of some colleges and universities, the responsibilities of the university parent committee are relatively broad, and its original intention is nothing more than to improve the communication between the school and parents, so that parents can have a better understanding of their children, and at the same time, parents can also provide social resources to assist the school in cultivating talents.
Many netizens expressed their puzzlement, obviously they are adult college students, why do they need to set up a parent committee? The topic of "University Parent Committee" is like a pebble thrown into the water, causing ripples.
No matter how high the kite flies, it must have a "line"
"Do you support colleges and universities to set up parent committees?" Not long ago, some media did a survey on Weibo. 2,880 people participated in the survey, of which 2,437 said they did not support it, and college students can decide for themselves as adults; There are also 236 people who choose to support, and parents need to communicate more with the school; The rest took a wait-and-see attitude.
It can also be seen from the comments that most college students do not feel the need for a parent association. They feel that they are adults and do not need too much interference from their parents.
"After being managed by my parents for so many years, college is finally free." Xiao Xu, a sophomore boy, felt a little unbelievable when he saw the hot search on Weibo, but he never expected that the university would set up a parent committee like primary and secondary school students.
In his memory, the word "Parent Association" almost accompanied his growth. "There was a parent committee in elementary school, and at that time, parents were responsible for activities and school uniforms, and I didn't know what the parent committee of the university did. Xiao Xu said.
There are also many college students who believe that the formation of a parent committee in a university should also be based on the informed consent of the students themselves, and it is necessary to clarify the degree and method of parental participation.
And most of the people who support it are parents who can't rest assured. In the eyes of many parents, after their children go to college, they are like flying kites.
"The establishment of a parent committee in a university should not interfere too much with the children's freedom, why can't everyone accept it?" When Wu Han saw the controversy on the Internet about this issue, he didn't understand it very well.
Wu Han's son has just entered his first year of college, and she still remembers the day she sent her son to school, and how mixed her feelings were. "It stands to reason that when the child goes to college, he is finally liberated. But to be honest, I can't rest assured. At first, she tried to convince herself that when the child was older, she would leave it alone.
After a while, she still found an opportunity to add the counselor's WeChat, but she was embarrassed to ask about the child's situation often. "No news is good news." She often comforts herself.
As for Lao Tang, he always felt a little self-reproachful for his children's university studies. Although five or six years have passed, Lao Tang still remembers that when he received his son's graduation notice, his mind was almost blank.
"My son went to college, and in his sophomore year, I found that he was addicted to games, but after communicating with him a few times, it didn't work, and the school never gave feedback on his grades." Over the years, every time he saw the word "unemployed" in his son's resume, his heart ached faintly, and it would have been nice if he had kept an eye on it back then.
A debate about the "college parent association" is more like an emotional bond between parents and children. On the road of life, parents look at the back of their newly grown children and drift away, but they always want to do more for their children. But do the children who have always longed for freedom and independence still need it?
What do children need to grow?
Many people will be curious, what do the university parent committees and parents do? With everyone's questions, the reporter found some answers in the exploration of some colleges and universities.
Due to the existence of primary and secondary school parent committees, many people will naturally use a similar understanding to define university parent committees. Judging from the exploration of several universities, the extension of the university parent committee may be broader.
The School of International Education of Jiangxi Normal University has set up a parent committee, which is mainly composed of voluntary parents of students from all over the province, and this exploration has been going on for more than ten years since 2011.
Zhang Yanguo was the vice president of Jiangxi Normal University and was the main initiator of the parent committee system of the National Education College. Now a distinguished professor of liberal arts scholars at Central China Normal University, he still remembers some of the opposition he encountered when he first introduced the parent committee system. "About a third of parents don't approve of it. Some parents believe that the parent association has brought a set of primary and secondary schools into the university and dwarfed the college students. There are also parents who feel that their children are in college, and there is no need for parents to participate in this. ”
However, in Zhang Yanguo's view, more and more only children are entering colleges and universities, which also suggests that the talent training methods of colleges and universities should be changed in time. To put it simply, we should not only be responsible for students, but also responsible for students' parents and families, and more importantly, responsible for society. The University Parent Committee is more about helping new students adapt to university life as soon as possible and implement college career planning.
Since then, the Parent Committee and the school have established a relatively close relationship, and the role of the Parent Committee is mainly to combine its own advantages to solve the actual needs of talent training. Taking student employment as an example, some local parent committees have set up career planning guidance teams, and parents combine their own work experience to provide career guidance to juniors and seniors.
After more than ten years of exploration, what is the effect? "Through the parent association, a more convenient communication platform between home and school has been established. Parents are more aware of their students' dynamics at school, and schools and parents can provide necessary assistance when students need it. Xiong Zhiwei, vice president of the National Education College, said.
However, they also realize that in the new educational environment, the PTA system also needs to keep pace with the times. Xiong Zhiwei said that the college is also exploring how to further improve the system, promote digital intelligence empowerment, and let the parent committee play a further role in the new education concept and talent training model.
"What I feel the most is that parents can communicate with each other, and parents use their own resources to build a platform, and the ultimate goal is to focus on the growth of their children." A parent who used to be a member of the university's parent committee believes that the university's parent committee is actually more like providing students with social pathway courses, providing them with stronger empowerment to go out into society. The obvious effect depends on the attention of the school and the participation of parents.
In addition, there are many people who are worried about whether the university parent association will affect the independence of college students and make them dependent.
In this regard, some experts suggested that, considering the differences in the functions of university parent committees and primary and secondary school parent committees, it may be biased to simply believe that the establishment of university parent committees is tantamount to restricting students' freedom and affecting students' independence. However, if the establishment of a parent committee at the school or college level continues to extend the establishment of a class parent committee, then it is necessary to be cautious.
Make up for the missing lesson
Education is a mirror of society, and perhaps more can be glimpsed from it. When we discuss whether university parent committees should exist, perhaps we should think more about the deep-seated reasons, why have university parent committees continued to appear in recent years? Is this just an educational phenomenon?
According to Chen Zhiwen, editor-in-chief of China Education Online, in recent years, universities have set up parent committees, which is actually a result of the popularization of higher education in China.
In May 2009, Wang Lingling, from the School of Foreign Languages of Zhejiang University, published a signed article entitled "Research on the Role and Mechanism Construction of Parent Committees in College Students' Education".
"The students cultivated by the mainland education system have a very prominent feature: in the primary and secondary school stage, the school and parents have given the children very clear goals to strive for, such as what kind of junior high school and high school they want to attend, which type or level of university is the child's goal, and so on, which is very clear, and the students are also clear about their goals. However, as soon as I entered the university, I lost a clear goal of struggle. ”
The reason is not only in schools, but also in the strong demand of a large number of parents. Chen Zhiwen believes that the era of only children has created a group of "helicopter parents". They are overly nervous and worried about their children's growth, playing the role of helicopters, hovering over the sky all the time.
"What these parents have in common is that they pay attention to their children's development in all aspects, even if they are overly concerned, and they are not willing to let go even when the child is an adult." Chen Zhiwen said.
On the other hand, with the changes in the educational and social environment, the problems encountered by students at the university level are becoming more and more complex. In this context, the school does not want to become an unlimited liability company, and hopes to let parents participate in the establishment of a parent committee.
"For the small number of students with academic, health or emotional problems, the school alone is not enough to protect them, so there is an urgent need for parents to participate." A college counselor told reporters.
However, both colleges and universities and parents should recognize that the primary function of PTAs is to support rather than intervene, and a sense of boundaries is particularly important. In the opinion of many experts, an important principle of scientific home-school cooperation at the university level is moderation, which should not interfere with students' freedom excessively, but should appear just right when they need help.
In addition, it should be noted that university is an important transition stage for college students from family to society, and most of them who have reached adulthood should accept the experience of society moderately and cope with challenges independently. When they leave the campus and go out into society, they can have more power and start a new life.
Source: Chao News client