Stakeholders Urge Intentional Parenting as UNILAG Staff School Marks Diamond Jubilee

By Fathia Adegbuyi

Stakeholders and educators at a public lecture organised by the University of Lagos Staff School (ULSS) have called on parents to adopt effective communication and emotional presence in intentional parenting.

The lecture encouraged parents to create regular opportunities for meaningful dialogue, to recognise their children’s individual temperaments, and monitor changes in behaviour and body language that could signal difficulties.

Themed “Parenting in Contemporary Times,” the symposium was held on the fourth day of activities organised to celebrate the school’s Diamond Jubilee. It provided an opportunity for parents, educators, alumni, pupils, and government representatives to examine the changing dynamics of raising responsible, value-driven children in the digital era.

Parents were advised to establish appropriate parental controls, set limits, and monitor their children’s activities on digital media, while also understanding the digital environment.

The Head Teacher of the Staff School, Mrs Eunice Akinade, stated that although parenting is not formally taught in the classroom, teachers encounter its outcomes daily while working with children from different homes and backgrounds. 

She added that children must also remain committed to their own development despite the shortcomings they might experience at home.

Akinade urged the pupils to listen, take notes, and share the lessons learnt with their parents.

UNILAG Vice-Chancellor and Chairman of the ULSS Board, Professor Folashade Ogunsola, represented by Professor Joseph Awoyinka, noted that the future of the nation is being shaped in the home. He also emphasised the importance of parents who are present, responsible and guided by strong values, saying that love and guidance are more effective in child-rearing than harshness. 

Guest speaker, Dr Jacob Adeyanju, lamented the decline of traditional, community-based child-rearing, recounting the experience of a pupil who struggled to stay awake in class because both parents left home before dawn and returned late. 

He noted that while any responsible adult could previously correct a misbehaving child, many adults now hesitate to intervene for fear of conflict. He identified spiritual guidance, moral instruction, material support and emotional attachment as key parental responsibilities, adding that long working hours and exhaustion leave many parents with less time for their children, who are increasingly exposed to screens and social media.