PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN PRE-SCHOOLS: BARRIERS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Abstract

Family involvement promotes safety, security, and well-being of children and families. When families are involved, children understand that their families are valued. The objectives of this research paper were to study the factors influencing family involvement, ways in which pre-schools involve families, means of communication pre-schools use with families, barriers to family involvement and how they could be reduced. 12 pre-schools participated in this study. Self-structured questionnaire was used to get information on the various aspects of family involvement in the school. Results indicate that socio-economic background of the teachers and family, student-teacher ratio, approach to discipline, number of family contacts by the teacher are some of the factors influencing family involvement. The school involves the family by the teachers taking lead in developing positive parent-teacher relationship; communicating often about the need for and importance of family involvement, accommodation of family needs, show case what students are learning and accomplishing, create opportunities to connect, plan events and workshops that bring families into school and assign homework that requires family participation. The pre-school supervisors felt that specific budget allocations would help enhance family involvement in pre-schools. This chapter discuses need to enhance families as partners in pre-schools so as to find ways to build relationships between home, school and early childhood settings that are respectful, responsive and reciprocal by nature.