Let’s call a spade a spade: Who is failing our children?

The aggregate scores of 26, 29, 36, and 39 are more than just numbers on a results slip; they represent the futures of individual Ghanaian students. As parents anxiously await placement forms and discuss school choices, it's crucial to examine how we arrived at this point. Examination results that disappoint often lead to the question: "They are only children."

However, being a child does not exempt them from guidance and support. Childhood is a time when adults should instill discipline, good habits, and the understanding that success often demands effort and sacrifice.

The real question we must ask is: who is failing our children? It's not just the students; it's the adults who fail to provide the necessary guidance and supervision. Many homes witness children late at night engrossed in mobile phones, scrolling through videos and social media platforms. These digital platforms, designed to keep users engaged, often win over other activities. Television, sports, and hobbies no longer compete solely for children's attention.

While technology and social media are not inherently bad, their excessive and unsupervised use is the problem. Children can spend long hours online without studying, thanks to the lack of rules, limits, and adult supervision. Parents should examine who bought the smartphone, who pays for internet data, and who allows nighttime phone use. They must also monitor their child's online activities.

Teachers are not entirely to blame for educational challenges. Education is a shared responsibility, involving parents, teachers, schools, and learners. Extra classes can help, but they are not a complete solution. A child struggling with concentration, routines, or self-study needs more than additional lessons. Some children face financial difficulties or lack educational support at home or school. Poor results should never be used to ridicule or embarrass a child, but we cannot ignore the contributing factors.

Parents can take several steps to address the issue. They should establish clear boundaries for technology use, monitor their children's activities, and create regular study routines before major exams. They should track academic performance early and maintain communication with teachers. Most importantly, parents should show interest in their children's education from the beginning, not just after results are released.

Ultimately, the answer to "who is failing our children?" is uncomfortable: when no adult is watching, all of us fail. Technology is here to stay, and the real question is whether we will teach our children how to control it, or let it control them.