Pilot scheme will help parents teach their children life values
Parents will be encouraged to go back to school in an initiative to be piloted in Kwun Tong by the Women's Commission to encourage quality parenting and establish a support network for mothers and fathers.
Unveiling a study into what parents, children, principals, teachers and social workers consider the core 'life values' to instil in children, the commission's chairwoman said it would also develop quality parenting education sessions in other districts eventually.
Sophia Kao Ching-chi said the commission had held several meetings with parenting education experts, government departments and non-governmental organisations, and found that insufficient attention was being paid to 'the development of a value system in our next generation'.
The study it commissioned found respondents ranking self-reliance, self-restraint, honesty, filial piety, mutual respect, politeness, care and love towards family members, endurance, peace, responsibility and independence as the most important.
'The findings also suggested that mothers and daughters have higher expectations when it comes to observing these values whereas fathers and sons expect less,' said Yeung Ka-ching, one of the leaders of the study.
Ms Kao said parents' own behaviour and attitudes significantly affected the values with which their children grew up.
'Equipping parents with quality parenting education emphasising core life values is an important empowerment process for them, which would, in turn, help them to nurture the younger generation with ability and integrity,' she said.
The pilot project, details of which have yet to be finalised, would involve various 'stakeholders', including parents, schools and experts, and would grow into a support network for parents to share their experiences.
The study, conducted by Policy 21, involved a literature review, focus group discussions, interviews with parents and experts, and a household survey of 572 families. Surveys were sent to 100 primary and 100 secondary schools covering different 'bands'.
The biggest problem cited by parents in the study was that they did not get to spend enough time with their children.
Many parents also complained that they did not know how to help their children solve problems with their studies, that they did not understand their children and did not know how to communicate with them.
