Parents’ role in nurturing talents
To many parents, a lucrative course worth their time and financial investment is one that gives their children financial independence and earns them societal honour that comes with opulence.
What you need to know:
- Interestingly, school programmes are designed not only to equip learners with the knowledge and skills necessary for white-collar careers but also to identify and nurture talent in music, theatre and related fields.
- However, to many parents, a lucrative course worth their time and financial investment is one that gives their children financial independence and earns them societal honour that comes with opulence.
- A better understanding of the curriculum would enable parents to appreciate the diverse areas of the economy that co-curricular activities seek to address.
Are you still stuck with the once highly hyped and perceivably lucrative medicine, engineering, piloting, or accounting courses for your son or daughter?
Have you ever entertained the idea of encouraging your son or daughter to hone their skills in sports, theatre or music and considered a career away from books?
Probably not, maybe because you still believe anything less than a white-collar career is not rewarding. If so, I suggest that you reconsider the parameters you use to gauge the worth of a career.
Interestingly, school programmes are designed not only to equip learners with the knowledge and skills necessary for white-collar careers but also to identify and nurture talent in music, theatre and related fields.
Indeed, programmes such as sports, drama and music festivals, science and engineering fairs, debates, scouting movements as well as agriculture clubs provide resourceful channels for learners to appreciate their natural abilities and market themselves to the world.
Societal honour
However, to many parents, a lucrative course worth their time and financial investment is one that gives their children financial independence and earns them societal honour that comes with opulence.
Incidentally, this is what talent-oriented careers have often given.
Appreciation of the fact that children’s talents can translate to rewarding careers would likely reverse the growing trend where achievement in academics has not always yielded happiness in the lives of achievers.
While a number of factors can be blamed for this, there is no denying that talent in areas away from books has equally been rewarding.
A better understanding of the curriculum would enable parents to appreciate the diverse areas of the economy that co-curricular activities seek to address.
Secondly, careers that require the gift of the garb draw from the expertise developed in school debating clubs. Thirdly, religious movements are training grounds for the clergy-to-be.
Fourthly, sporting activities offer learners a wide range of fields from which to find their passion.
Lastly, school clubs founded on subjects like home science and computer studies form a strong foundation for lucrative careers in key sectors of the economy.
Dr Mwirigi is a researcher, author and Principal, Kagumo High School; [email protected]
