Implications of School Governance on Parental Participation in School Activities in Selected Secondary Schools in Bugesera District, Rwanda

Abstract

School governance is the engine for all the activities in the school. The school governance plays a significant role for parents to feel welcomed or neglected. Participation of parents in school activities has raised concerns for the government of Rwanda from long ago and MINEDUC has put in place a law to create a room whereby parents’ role in the school development will be observed clearly. Bugesera District has been reported to experience absence of parental involvement in schools’ events which interested the researcher to carry out this investigation. The main objective of this study was to explore the implications of school governance on parental participation in school activities whereas the specific objectives were (i)to examine the effects of school decision making process on parental participation in selected secondary schools of Bugesera District. (ii) to assess the functioning of the school governing bodies on parental participation in selected secondary schools of Bugesera District, (iii) to evaluate the contribution of quality assurance on parental participation in selected secondary schools of Bugesera District, (iv) to find out the reasons why the parents do not actively participate in school activities in selected secondary schools of Bugesera District.This research utilized concurrent mixed method research design. The target population consisted of 5675 individuals, including members of the school executive council, school leaders, teachers, and students. A sample of 52 respondents, consisting of 4 head teachers, 10 teachers, 18 parents, and 20 students, were chosen from the selected secondary schools of Bugesera District. Both simple random sampling and purposive sampling methods were used to sample them. Data were gathered using focus groups, questionnaires, document reviews, and guided interviews. Head teachers and teachers completed questionnaires, which were utilized in this study as quantitative data gathering instruments. Head teachers also received interviews in addition to questionnaires. In addition, focus groups were employed to get qualitative information from parents and students. Tables and graphs were used to display the data after they had been examined using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages). The findings to this study (90%) have shown that decision processes are made through in person meetings that gather them at school and parents are encouraged to participate in decision making through school committees and school general assemblies. The findings (85%) again indicated that generally the governing bodies exist in almost all the schools, functional and all the lawful members are included. Parents testified that they are involved in quality assurance through students’ homework, provision of school materials, monitoring the movements of their children from home to school and back home. Parents highlighted that when they do follow up on quality assurance, this boosts the children’s confidence and increase their efforts in learning. However, the findings indicated that the level of welcoming parents in school activities is still low and proposed reinforcement in school governance attitudes towards the participation of parents in school activities. Therefore, the study recommended thorough follow up and attention on the implementation of the established policies that regulates the school governance in order to fully integrate the parents.