Involvement of Parents in the Governance of Rural Schools: The Experiences of Parents

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore the experiences of parents in the school governance of rural schools in South Africa. An argument is presented that although the involvement of parents in the school governance in South Africa is taken as a fait accompli; the reality is that in rural schools, this remains a wishful thinking, despite the fact that parentsare primary stakeholders in the governance of schools. This has become apparent with the establishment of new education policies upon which parent involvement in school governance in South African education is built.Taking into account the high rate of illiteracy in the rural areas, the article aims, amongst others, to probe the experiences of parents in the governance of rural schools and to investigate their understanding of legislations and policies that impact on school governance.The empirical method, namely quantitative research, was used to obtain information from parents about their involvement in school governance, focusing on their understanding of legislations and policies that impact on school governance.The study is concluded by the submission that parents should trained so that they can have a working knowledge of school governance activities.