To Be Honest: We’re teachers – please don’t ask us to be parents too

The week before school began, I was listening to people on the radio discussing childhood obesity. I think it was in the context of shops needing to order school uniforms with 50in waists. Appalling, I know, but almost within the same breath, the presenter asked – I’m paraphrasing – “What should we be doing about this? Should schools be taking a more active role?”

Yes, schools, not parents, were the first thing on the presenter’s mind.

Those of us teaching children are seen to be at the front line when it comes to curing society’s ills. Childhood obesity? Get the teachers on it! Water safety? Schools will throw you a lifeline! Hygiene? Get the educators to show them how to wash their hands properly! Drug awareness? What are schools doing to inform children about these issues? Mindfulness? Who will teach children to be present in the moment?

You may think I’m being facetious, but the above is not far off. We have a huge curriculum to get through in primary school. English, Irish, maths, religion, history, geography, science, social, personal and health education, art, music, physical education, with a decent dose of nature and environmental studies thrown in. There is no time. Ever.

Full curriculum

I have to squeeze all of that into a day that lasts from 9am to 2.30pm. Before you roll your eyes, remember that that is just teaching time. To fit it all in, preparation and a formidable level of organisation is needed. That takes time. I’m in school well before students arrive, I stay for hours afterwards, and I still wish I had more time to cement the basics such as reading, writing and maths.

I have a copy of the curriculum that takes up a full shelf, and then various packs for road safety, water safety, National Tree Day and recycling awareness that take up another.

I am not complaining about my work. Making sure children can read, write, do their sums and ensuring they enjoy school is my job. It’s what I’m paid to do and I take enormous pride in it. I like to think that I’m good at it.

However, feeding them properly, making sure they get enough exercise, educating them about their bodies beyond the Stay Safe Programme, teaching them proper hygiene, telling them to stay safe on the roads and to stay away from drugs, sugar, alcohol and strangers is the job of a parent.

Every day, teachers around the country strain to fill the gaps that open up around children. They teach five-year-olds how to wash their hands properly. They oblige every time a new physical-education initiative comes along. They pull out the Safe Cross Code and try to engage their classes in it. I know people who bring in digestives and cheese because some of their students come to school hungry. I’ve done that myself. Teachers will always do what they can, but society should see that as the exception rather than the rule. There should not be an assumption that this is the job of a school or a teacher.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to support any of these efforts in any way I can, but I think that parents should hold the primary responsibility. If the radio presenter turns to me before asking what parents can do about their children’s problems, there is something fundamentally wrong with how society is thinking.

This occasional column gives a voice to those interested in education. Contributions welcome to education@irishtimes.com