Parental Involvement as Part of curriculum Reform in South African Schools: Does It contribute to Quality Education?

Abstract

Active parental involvement (PI) in any child’s academic performance is regarded as an essential aspect to enhance high learner achievement particularly in disadvantaged communities. The purpose of the study reported on was linked to the growing notion that PI is a crucial asset that may have important consequences for teaching and learning. The study was based on interviews with 20 teachers from 10 randomly selected secondary schools, from a total sample of 32, in Vhembe District, Limpopo, South Africa, which is an exclusively disadvantaged, black area. Using the qualitative data generated from individual interviews with purposefully selected participants, the views of secondary school teachers in Vhembe District on PI were captured. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of parents are not actively involved in the school work of their children and that it adversely affects the functioning of the school, according to the teachers. The teachers attributed this, firstly, to the weak understanding of parents regarding their roles as stakeholders and, secondly, to the fact that most parents had little schooling themselves.