Nyan Asks What Happens To Children When Parents Fail Them

Nyan Questions State’s Role When Parents Fail Children

Former Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly has raised a broader question about the responsibility of the State when parents fail to provide children with the discipline, guidance and support they need.

Speaking about the challenges facing children and the education system, Gadsby-Dolly acknowledged that parents must take responsibility for their children, but argued that blaming parents cannot be where the conversation ends.

“I am a parent. I’m a parent of three children. I’m a very strict disciplinarian in my home as well,” she said.

She stressed that she was not suggesting parents should be excused from their responsibilities.

“There is no one in this country who can say parents are not responsible. However, what happens when a parent drops the ball? And that is the question,” Gadsby-Dolly said.

She questioned whether repeatedly blaming a struggling or absent parent actually solves the problem facing the child.

“Do we continue saying, ‘It’s your fault, it’s your fault, it’s your fault’? At that point, what is the state’s responsibility?”

Gadsby-Dolly argued that when parents fail, the consequences do not simply disappear. Children can continue through the education system and eventually into wider society without receiving the intervention they require.

She warned that if the State responds only by pointing to parental failure, the underlying problem remains unresolved and may have to be confronted later in a more serious form.

“If the state continues to say, ‘Well, parents not doing it. Well, nobody doing it,’ then we still end up dealing with the problem later on,” she said.

Her comments place the focus on the balance between parental and state responsibility, particularly when dealing with children who may not have adequate supervision, discipline or support at home.

The former Education Minister has previously spoken about children effectively having to “parent themselves”, highlighting the difficulties faced by young people who lack consistent adult guidance.

Her position is that parents remain the first line of responsibility for their children, but when that system fails, the State must determine what intervention is necessary rather than allowing the child to fall through the cracks.

The issue has taken on renewed significance amid national discussions about student discipline, disruptive behaviour in schools and the extent to which parents should be held accountable for the actions of their children.