Parents told to raise their children with Christian principles

By PETER WARI
YOUTHS involvement in smoking marijuana and drinking homebrew is the biggest issue affecting this nation, a member of the Christian Apostolic Fellowship Church says.
Speaking during the back-to-school crusade held at Tente outside Mendi on Tuesday, Walis Yakam said parents had a huge role to play to properly mould and shape their children during their childhood.
“Students who refrain from taking part in illegal activities and excel in their studies comes from good parents who disciplines them,” she said.
“The childhood experience helps mold their personality.
“If parents want their children to be successful in life, they must take part in church activities. Children need to abide by Christian principles and values, they need to grow up in a Christian environment.”
Yakam said due to the tuition fee free policy, thousands of students graduated each year, with only a handful able to secure spaces at tertiary institutions while the rest were dropped out.
She said many dropouts became successful in life when they humbled themselves and took part in church activities.
Mendi Secondary deputy-principal Philip Piru said about a quarter of the students’ time was spent with teachers while the rest was with their parents and relatives.
“Mendi Secondary enrols about 1500 students,” he said.
“Not at one time did a parent come to the school and enquire with teachers of their children’s academic performance.
“Students must be spiritually, physically, mentally and socially developed.
“Their parents are responsible to make sure their children are well groomed to face the challenging world.”
Piru said parents could not blame teachers when their children dropped out at school.
He said it depended on how they were disciplined at home.
“When teachers see students behaves inappropriately at school, they definitely know that their parents never discipline them and come from a violent family or community,” Piru said.
He said the imparting of knowledge began at home, not at church or school and parents must begin to take strict measures to discipline their children.