THE IMPORTANCE OF PARENTS TEACHERS ASSOCIATION AS TOOLS FOR STRENGTHENING PRIMARY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Despite the government effort of ensuring community direct involvement in the development of
schools in their locality and parents' involvement in their students discipline through parents'
teachers association (PTA) presence remains obscure in many primary schools. The purpose of
this paper is to address the problems facing PTA such as poor supervision, financial problems
and lack of cooperation between parents and teachers. The paper, therefore, suggested ways in
which the numerous problems faced by the parents teachers association can be averted through
the following; that the host community should be involved in the PTA and they can serve as a
tool to strengthened the educational system in order to provide the society with quality
education, these include involving parents in organizing programmes in the school, proper
funding, good communication strategy, involving the PTA in school administration participating
in decision making and using direct labour in carrying out projects in the school instead of
awarding it as a contract to outsiders. Primary schools will be productive if urgent attention is
given to the human resources, financial resources and physical facilities in the educational
system. In conclusion the roles of PTA is evident in the roles it has been performing in the
schools; by enhancing cordial relationship between the school and the community; maintaining
and instilling discipline in the students in the school and creating awareness on the importance of
parents to attend meetings and teachers will have the opportunity to relate issues concerning their
children's attendance and retention of their wards in the school.