The practices and challenges of parent participation in children’s education in jimma town primary schools

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the practice and challenges of parents‟ participation in their children‟s education in Jimma town primary schools. The study focused mainly on school-parent relationship; 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, teachers and students of the schools. The sample of the study: 42 PTAs, 14 principals, 77 teachers and 12 students of the selected sample schools 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 on the current practices of parent participation in children‟s education revealed that the level of parent- school relationship were rare. Meaning the participation in school meetings or school conference, communication with school teachers and/or administrations and visiting their children‟s learning and school activities were found rare. 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. Similarly, participation of parents and PTA members in school management activity; such as planning with school leaders, monitoring teaching learning process and supporting were low, except solving school disciplinary problems and providing supportive/constructive ideas. The main factors that hindered parents‟ involvement in schools were lack of awareness to support their children in education, low economic background (income), time constraints as well as weak school- parent relation which need to be strengthened in the future. This study revealed that, parent involvement in their children‟s education is not as desired. 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