A school has demanded parents take more responsibility for their children, outlining their requests with a bold sign. Now, it’s spreading like wildfire online.
Paulo Gandra, an educator at the Stockholm School of Culture, according to his Facebook profile, has made waves online after deciding to share a photo of a sign with a bold message to parents from their children’s school. His post received so much attention, it was quickly covered by Swedish news outlets — but it didn’t stop there. Instead, the teacher’s words quickly traveled around the world.
According to Gandra, the message he posted on social media first appeared on a poster in a school in Portugal, which he translated to Swedish, asking, “What if you could put this up in all schools?” Although Gandra originally made his post in 2017, it has gone viral again and again as the sign seems to answer a timeless question.
Where do the school’s responsibilities begin and end when it comes to the children they are tasked with teaching? The sign lays out the answer to that question in plain terms, drawing a line for parents and demanding they do their part so teachers can do their job. Apparently, the words resonated with educators everywhere as the sign was eventually translated to English as well and eventually posted by the outlet Bored Teachers.
The message on the sign, which has since gone viral all around the world, highlights five key points that the school determined were the responsibility of the parents, not the teachers. Addressed to those “Dear Parents,” the sign’s bullet points clearly indicate what must be learned at home before a parent sends their child off to school.
“We would like to remind you that magic words such as hello, please, you’re welcome, I’m sorry, and thank you, all begin to be learned at home,” the first point reads, reminding parents that it is their responsibility to instill common courtesy in their child.
Addressing accountability, responsibility, and basic moral integrity and respect, the sign furthers, “It’s also at home that children learn to be honest, to be on time, diligent, show friends their sympathy, as well as show [the] utmost respect for their elders and all teachers.”
“Home is where they learn to be clean, not talk with their mouths full, and how/where to properly dispose of garbage,” the sign continues. “Home is also where they learn to be organized, to take good care of their belongings, and that it’s not ok to touch others,” it adds, further instructing parents what they must teach their children at home.
Then, in the last bullet point, the school explains its responsibility. “Here at school, on the other hand, we teach language, math, history, geography, physics, sciences, and physical education,” the sign says before concluding, “We only reinforce the education that children receive at home from their parents.”
The online response was immediate with both parents and teachers alike supporting the message posted on the sign. All seem to agree that parents need to take responsibility for their children’s behavior, and morals and values must be taught at home. Responsibility, respect, accountability, common courtesy, and integrity are all things children should learn well before they are sent off to school. As parents, we are our child’s first teacher, and these lessons need to be learned early. Parents should parent, so teachers can teach.
Simply put, it’s not up to the school to raise our children and teach them to be decent human beings with manners. That’s a parent’s responsibility. And, when parents step up to that task, our children will receive a better education at school, where teachers can spend their time on school lessons rather than disciplining unruly students. Sadly, this sign isn’t posted at your child’s school, so make sure fellow parents see it by continuing to spread this important message online. It’s time parents give their children the life lessons they need at home, not rely on the school to do it for them.
