WhatsApp, FB groups help reduce back-to-school stress

Abu Dhabi: Parental anxiety may be a common when sending children to school but parents in the UAE have begun to use technology, specifically messaging services, to allay some of their fears and make the process easier, residents said.

Through services like WhatsApp, a Facebook-owned messaging application, parents are now able to get quick information from teachers and other parents on homework, assignments and school activities. They say this greatly helps reduce the stress of sending children back to school after the summer, as they feel better prepared and can, in some cases, even communicate with teachers.

“My daughter’s teacher started a group on WhatsApp for all parents with children in the same class at the start of the 2015-2016 academic year, and we welcomed the easy and convenient channel of communication,” said Mayank Goyal, 41, a sales manager from India. His daughter, Kashish, attends a British curriculum school in the capital.

“For instance, my daughter once forgot that she had an Arabic test the next day. We found out because another parent mentioned it on the group, and then we were able to prepare her for it on time. Another time, my wife found out that parents were in fact invited to a cultural day at school, and was able to attend it,” he remembers.

Goyal says parents can also exchange information on the school’s cultural activities, and that his daughter’s class teacher always responds promptly to any queries.

Using technology in such a manner is a boon for working parents, said Akshata Fernandez, 34, a personal assistant and mother-of-two.

“My daughter is in Grade 4 at an Indian curriculum school this year and in April, a parent took an initiative to collect the telephone number of other parents with children in the same class. The resulting WhatsApp group has helped me determine my daughter’s homework schedule, and even plan her activities,” Fernandez said.

She remembers one instance when Adeline, her daughter, forgot to inform her parents that a few children from her class would come by for a group project.

“I was in the process of shifting and pregnant with my second child, and I suddenly found out about the project from another parent. As a result, I was able to make sure that I could receive the other children at our house and get them to finish the assignment,” Fernandez said.

The mother-of-two pointed out that she uses the group to also plan her evening.

“As a working mother, I can check with other parents on what homework there is for the day. In this way, I don’t waste time when we get home, and my daughter can get her tasks finished quickly. In fact, I cannot even imagine going back to a time where I would have to personally call up the teacher or other parents to find out what was happening at school,” she added.

Aamir Faiz, a 39-year-old trauma programme officer from Pakistan and parent of another fourth grader, said having access to WhatsApp does away with the constant need for parents to visit the school.

“In the past, I would have to go to the school quite often if we had questions, or call up and try to get hold of a teacher. Last year, my son’s teacher promptly answered our queries. So I hope his new class teacher in 2016-2017 will also set up a similar group,” he said.