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National Fatherhood Initiative’s Vincent DiCaro on how fathers can play a critical role in education
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But back I'm Greg you're on the -- filling in for Jonathan Hunt what are the things that -- been talking about these days with all the statistics flying around about.
How American school children.
Are really in a deficit faced.
Up against other.
Modern societies.
Where children seem to school or better.
And one asked the question you know what's wrong and what's hurting.
America educationally.
And joining us now to talk about that this into -- vice president development and communications national fatherhood initiative.
Thanks for being -- this let's see answered the question what's hurting education in America.
Well you know from -- Standpoint -- national fatherhood initiative.
The biggest change that's taken place in education over the last generation actually has nothing to do with schools but everything to do with what's happened to the family in the last generation.
On and specifically what I mean by that.
Is the absence of fathers from.
Actually about the lives of one out of every three children and our country today is actually growing up without their biological father in the home.
So we have this enormous father absence crisis in our view that's really what's driving.
A lot of the problems that we're seeing an education among our issues -- raise it because of unwed mothers or divorces or both.
Well you know all of these things kind of contribute to.
What ends up being a situation where dad is just not there on a regular basis out of wedlock child -- have gone through the roof where about 40%.
Are right now all births are out of wedlock obviously divorces increase in the last generation although that's kind of leveled off and even decrease.
-- and lots and lots of places on and then just kind of a general mentality in our country that fathers don't necessarily play unique and irreplaceable role.
In their children's lives and so when you have that kind of cultural attitude right it's a challenge for dads to be involved as involved as they need to be.
I wanna put up on the screen a couple of facts associated with this discussion in the first is the 24 million children in America.
Have.
No biological fathers in their homes.
And the other one is a breakdown.
Of race 64%.
Among the African American population 34%.
Among the Hispanic 25%.
Among the Y eight population of children living in father absent homes.
Why search right eight high rate among the African American community events and well.
You know I I think all the factors that I am I mentioned before on -- play in in every community and father absence is you know certainly.
You're not unique to any particular community but I think there's been lots of you know cultural and economic.
Scenes that have happened in the African American community over the last generation that has contributed to the higher rates of -- -- absence.
-- but you know this is really a problem that's happening across the board.
And it's not just the United States there was actually just a global study that was done by child trends on the world's -- map and what this report found was at a cross.
-- the developed world children in two parent homes do better in school than children and single parent homes and this is this actually happens.
Independent of income which is a really important point to make this is not about the haves vs the have nots.
In terms of money it's actually the kids who have two parents -- the kids who have only one and that's -- the disparities.
And educational outcomes are happening across the globe.
You know I had spent a lot of time with my two daughters.
You know -- them on various subjects in preparation for exams helping them with their term papers.
In school -- in -- ones in high school the other one in middle school.
And so do you think it's underestimated.
The important role of -- dad does play in education.
Absolutely I mean I think I think dad's.
Us dads -- cells often underestimate.
How important our role as we often think well you know mom's got that covered you know she's going to -- parent teacher meetings he's helping with homework.
So the -- going to be fine but even if mom is doing all those things it's still critically important for dad to do them as well you know dads do things differently we interact with her children differently.
We -- unique and irreplaceable role on our children's lives.
And so we need to be just -- hands on with our kids' education reading -- to them every day helping them with their homework.
Going to the school being their present in the school on a man's presence in a school.
Just communicate a lot to his kids and and frankly the other kids in the schools well.
Now fits into Carol thank you so much for sharing your thoughts whether it's an important subject.
We can all agree on that thank you and a couple of -- want to share.
On.
We -- says you can spend enough time -- their dads are they the missing link in education reform and I think Vincent address that.
-- -- Texas.
Says I agree -- impact of the family's huge -- schools cannot discipline kids anymore either the fear of punishment.
Is a good thing.
