Parents are undoubtedly responsible for some of the most influential individuals in our lives. However, they do not need to be the only teachers, especially in education. While parents are most capable of teaching young children, there are many reasons why teachers cannot be replaced.

First, because parents are the first teachers, children innately gravitate towards them for guidance. Before they can speak, they observe and emulate their parents. As a child, I observed my mother’s interactions with her neighbors, getting to know the families and the adults they interacted with. My mother often remarked that she had learned from her neighbor’s children, and that her own had been greatly influenced by them. When I entered school, I saw the same dynamic at play. I was in a class full of children whose parents were foreign-born, and while their parents spoke no English, the children’s English was impeccable. I watched their mothers, who had immigrated from countries where English was not widely spoken, interact with their children, only to realize, years later, that those same children, now in their late teens, were bilingual and able to speak English fluently. Children of immigrants were learning English from their mothers, and giving them a head start in language acquisition.

Even if parents are not the first teachers, they no doubt are the most capable of teaching young children. Parents are emotionally invested in their children, and the nurturing instinct is strong, especially in children. When children are born, parents are thrilled and excited, and they eagerly seek to teach them everything they know. This desire is even stronger in parents whose own childhoods were difficult. They relish the chance to provide their children with experiences that they did not have and to teach them patience, tolerance, and coping skills. These characteristics are learned by children in their homes, and they cannot be replicated by teachers.

Another reason that parents are not the only teachers is that parents, who spend most of their days with their children, are not in a position to give their children the individualized attention that is so crucial to learning. When children enter school, they are placed in a learning environment with other students, and the teacher is responsible for providing that individualized attention. Teachers have large classes, and they cannot give each child the attention that is necessary. Children who need special help may not have it, and those who are not performing as well may fall behind. Teachers also are tasked with preparing children not only for tests, but also for the real world. Teachers cannot teach children how to be good workers or citizens; these tasks are the responsibility of the parents. Parents also can teach children life skills such as reading, writing, and math. Parents can teach children how to care for animals, how to cook, and how to do household chores. Teachers are responsible for providing children with the basic education necessary to succeed in society, but parents must teach children to be good people, and, by doing so, they will instill the values of good citizenship.

Finally, parents cannot teach children everything. Children are not born with the knowledge that adults possess, and they cannot learn everything from their parents. They must learn how to speak, read, write, and do arithmetic, among many other things, and the only way they can do this is through formal education. While children can learn many things from parents, it is important that they learn these things in school, not from a parent. Parents have many other responsibilities, and their time is limited. Teachers, on the other hand, have dedicated their lives to teaching children. They have spent countless hours studying child development, learning techniques, and acquiring the skills necessary to teach children. Children are in teachers’ classrooms an average of fourteen hours per day, five days per week. Teachers are charged with the responsibility of helping children succeed in school, and this cannot be done if parents are the only other teachers.