Taking care of children is probably one of the most important jobs of society and parents should be forced to take training courses showing them how to do so. To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Training programs for prospective parents should be made mandatory as raising a child is perhaps the single most important role of society. Personally, I disagree with this statement and the following paragraphs shall outline my reasoning for this belief. Firstly, nobody should ever be forced to do anything against their will. This is the mark of a truly free society which we should all strive to be. However, support for future parents should certainly be made available and offered to them regularly as this is a most difficult and onerous task, especially for those without significant family support. A great example of this approach in action is the UK’s National Health Service who assess each new parents needs and send support workers to individual parents when deemed appropriate. Secondly, there is no single way to nurture a child through their early years and childhood. The parents are in the best position to judge which way is going to be best for their child as they know their child best. Forcing people to attend a course that teaches one particular style may affect a parent’s judgment negatively and therefore do more harm than good. For example, one child may need to be shown strong discipline from their parents as they are a very loud dominantpersonality whereas another may need constant encouragement as they are much more introverted personality. To sum up, freedom and individuality are key reasons why parents should not be required to attend parenting classes. Governments around the world should do what they can to support parents but not force them to do anything against their will.