Parental involvement in rural schools in the Northern Province

Abstract

ENGLISH SUMMARY: Rural schools in South Africa are faced with many problems such as poor family relations, lack of facilities and resources and poor motivation on the side of teachers and students. Against this background, this study addresses many of these problems. This investigation explores parental involvement in rural schools in black communities. The literature study investigates barriers to parent involvement as well as ways and types of parental involvement. A historical perspective as well as theoretical perspective on parent involvement in education as well as legislation concerning education and parental involvement according to official documents are also discussed. The main contribution of this study is qualitative investigation of parental involvement in three schools i. e. a secondary school, a high primary school and a lower primary school, in the rural areas of the Northern Province. Data was collected by means of interviews with parents and teachers. Data is analysed, discussed and synthesised. The major findings emerged are the following: • Many parents are uninterested and negative towards the school; • they have limited time; • there is total separation between the school and the parents: and • lack of implimentation of ideas by teachers on parental involvement. As such both teachers and parents need workshops on the issues of parental involvement. It is the duty of the school to lead parents in their involvement in the education of their children. Parents are the primary educators of their children and there should always be a close contact between the school and the community.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Plattelande skole in Suid-Mrika word gekonfronteer met talle problerrie soos o.a. swak gesinsverhoudings, ontoereikende fasiliteite en hulpbronne en gebrekkige motivering van beide onderwysers en leerlinge. In die studie wat fokus op die betrokkenheid van swart ouers by plattelandse skole, word talle van die probleme aangespreek. In die literatuurstudie word die struikelblokke in die weg van ouerlike betrokkenheid ondersoek, asook die verskillende maniere waaarop ouers by skole betrokke kan wees. Daar word 'n historiese sowel as 'n teoretiese perspektief op ouerbetrokkenheid by skoolopvoeding geggee en die wetlike aspekte van ouerbetrokkenheid soos vervat in offisi"ele dokumente word bespreek. Die vernaamste bydrae van die studie is 'n kwalitatiewe ondersoek na ouerlike betrokkenheid in drie skole, 'n sekondere skool en 'n laer primere skool in die landelike gebiede van die Noordelike provinsie. Gegewens is versamel deur middel van onderhoude met ouers en onderwysers ell die data wat verkry is, is geanaliseer, bespreek en gesintetiseer. Die volgende is van die belangrikste bevindings wat verkry is: • Talle ouers het 'n negatiewe houdig teenoor die skool en is nie geinteresseerd in die aktiwiteite van die skool nie; • Ouers se tyd vir betrokkenheid by die skool is baie beperk; • Daar is 'n klooftussen die ouers en die skool en; • Die idees om ouerbetrokkenheid te bevorder word rue deur onderwysers geimplimenteer nei. Daar is 'n behoefte aan werkswinkels oor verskillende aspekte van ouerbetrokkenheid vir beide ouers en onderwysers. Dit is die taak van die skool om leiding te gee aan ouers ten einde aktiefbetrokke te raak by die opvoeding wat hul kinders op skool kry. Ouers is die primere opvoeders van hul kinders en daarom is noue samewerking tussen huis en skool baie belangrik.