Parenting and Learner Support in Rural South African Schools: Home Involvement as a Conduit for Strengthening Home-School Partnership

For the delivery of effective and quality education, active parent participation regarding learning support both in schools and at home is crucial. The study, hinged on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model sought to analyse School Management Teams (SMTs) and parents’ views on and interpretations of parental school involvement. Interviews were used to collect data from fifteen (15) purposively selected participants from three Junior Secondary Schools in the OR Tambo Coastal District in the Eastern Cape Province. The data was analysed using Atlas. ti and presented thematically and through network diagrams. The findings revealed that while parents were valued stakeholders in schools, there was a lack of viable partnerships between parents and schools. It emerged that effective home-school partnership was hindered by communication challenges as most parents were illiterate, hence children received minimal learning support from home. The low socio-economic status of the parents drove them towards tilling their land to provide food rather than actively participating in school activities. It was concluded that while parents had a clear and consistent understanding of parental involvement in school activities, the high poverty diminished their motivation for school involvement. Recommendations include the need for the Department of Education to foresee that school governing bodies ensure collaboration between homes and schools. Also, there should be intervention programs to enhance active parental participation in schools. This study adds to the existing literature on inclusive education in South African schools. Keywords: Effective Education, Quality Education, Parent Participation, Team Spirit, Learner Performance.