The idea behind the seminar organised last Saturday by Sedqa was to insist on the fact that it is not only schools that must be involved in the upbringing of children. Parents must share that role too, and it is unfortunate that some of them may think otherwise.

While addressing the seminar, Education Minister Louis Galea said that “parents do not only have an important role in the academic development of their children, but should also have an active role in prevention programmes, geared towards equipping students with appropriate skills to face challenging situations”.

What the minister meant – at least this is our interpretation – is that education should have two aims: that of providing future generations with an academic background that enables them to lead a qualitative life through their job and, equally importantly, that they are given the skills to build their character and personality to be able to face and overcome the challenges of life.

This has to happen both in the school and in the home, and one cannot work against the other, as this could have negative consequences. Both have to work in unison and approach the matter in full cooperation.

The main focus during the seminar was the involvement of parents in working hand in hand with schools to push young men and women away from substance abuse, and this includes drugs, cigarettes and alcohol.

Minister Galea said that although a great effort has been made in schools with regard to prevention programmes, dissemination of information and intervention where necessary, “we are still faced with a number of cases of substance abuse”. This should spur the authorities to work even harder in this aspect, perhaps through finding better ways and means of getting the message across and by concentrating more on individuals, apart from doing so on a collective level.

Individual attention is sometimes the key that brings about change in a person, particularly at a young age at a time when the character and personality is still being built. It is more likely that a child who is given assistance and advice and shown care will change his or her ways. Once grown up, it will be harder.

And this means that such programmes should go beyond the idea of “prevention from abuse”. Although this concept is in itself worthy, and should be given all possible support by the authorities, there are other sides to a person’s character that need to be addressed in the formative years.

This, for example, includes the positive thinking aspect. Although each and every person has his or her own character which is difficult to change, children should always be encouraged to think well of themselves. Confidence in one’s own capabilities is essential in a person’s life, as this will help him or her mature properly and be able to deal with situations in a healthy manner. Lack of confidence will bring insecurity and this often translates into bigger problems in a person’s life.

Children should, for example, never be told that they are incapable or ignorant. Instead, they should be helped to learn from their mistakes and be directed towards areas in which they feel comfortable and worthy. They should be disciplined whenever necessary but they should never be denigrated or demotivated. Everyone has his or her own particular talents that should be developed, and what is easy for someone could be hard for another, and vice-versa.

Generally speaking, most teachers and parents act within such guidelines, but even the best of them occasionally fall in the trap of saying things that they later regret. In such cases, they should admit their own mistake and explain why they acted in such a way. It is only by doing so that the child will be in a position to “recover”.