We recently spoke about whether we should incentivize students for better performance. Quite a few people brought up the role of parents and guardians, and it made me wonder whether we’re focusing on the wrong people.

If we believe education begins at home, then parents have a responsibility to ensure their children are prepared to learn. That doesn’t mean teaching the lessons, but getting children to school, encouraging them, checking their work and communicating with teachers should be part of parenting.

That being said, maybe we should ask whether parents should be incentivized to become more involved. I know what some will say: why reward parents for doing what they’re supposed to do? Fair question. But not every household is the same. Some parents work multiple jobs, some are raising children alone and others may not know how to support their children academically.

Maybe incentives aren’t about paying people to parent, but removing barriers. Could employers give parents time to attend school meetings without losing pay? Could families receive educational resources for participating in literacy or academic programs? What role could corporate Bermuda and community organizations play?

We talk about wanting a better Bermuda, a stronger workforce and more opportunities for Bermudians. But how do we get there if we’re not on the same page when it comes to educating our young people?

We can reform schools and change curriculums, but what happens in the classroom has to be supported at home. When children succeed, Bermuda benefits. When too many fall behind, Bermuda eventually pays the price.