Abstract:
The purpose of the study was to examine parental involvement in their children education and school affairs in primary school, in Jimma zone. The study focused mainly on parents involvement in their children’s education; parent and PTA participation in school activities and their effort to support school management as well as factors that hinder parent participation were assessed here. The research method employed in this study was descriptive survey, and the data gathering instruments used in this study was questionnaires and interview. The samples taken for this investigation were PTA members, principals, parents, teachers and students of the schools. The sample of the study: 126 students, 31 parents, 36 teachers, 27 PTAs and 6 Principals were included. The sampling techniques used in this research were simple random sampling technique of lottery method were employed. The data obtained were analyzed by descriptive statistics using frequency, percentage, mean and one way ANOVA test. The findings the study showed that parent involvement in their children education and school affair was low. There were rarely participating in parent-teacher meetings (weighted mean =2.762) participating in decision-making (Weighted mean=2.284), visit their children at school (Weighted mean=2.554), communicates with school teachers or school administrators (Weighted mean = 2.722). Parents involvement in guiding, helping with basic and supplementary learning materials, reducing work load and regular follow up of their children education at home and at school level were varied based on their rating scale. The extent in which parents’ involvement in their children education to enhance their children success in education is moderate. Moreover, parents were rarely supporting their students by regularly checking their children’s notebooks, assignments and homework, and providing rewards to motivate and encourage them. The main factors that hindered parents’ involvement in schools were lack of parents’ commitment, shortage of time and distance from the schools, low economic resources, and low levels of literacy parents, lack of knowledge and skills needed to help their children with school work. To conclude, parent’s participation was mostly affected by economic and social factors. So to raise parents and PTAs interest and capacity toward their duties and responsibilities: giving training to strength their roles on how to help their children in education at home and at school is the most important tasks to be accomplished.
