Related Review Literature
Parents are a source of comfort and warmth for their children. With one or both parents
absent, adolescents can be deprived of necessary attention. When the mother or father is absent from
the home, children may suffer and feel they don’t have all the support they need. To hide this
vulnerability and possibly counteract it, some young people may, among other things, become
aggressive with the intention of intimidating others before becoming victims themselves. Although
some previous studies have looked into the effect of parental absence on children's academic
achievements, it investigate the effects of parental absence on both the cognitive and non‐
cognitive skills of children. Our results show that parental absence during early child
development mostly incurs negative effects on the academic achievement and non‐cognitive
development of children. A child whose parents are both absent tends to have lower mathematics
test scores, lower self‐assessment on his/her behavior, and is less likely to be happy and satisfied.
A gender difference is also observed in the effect of parental absence: girls suffer more from the
effect of both parents being absent on their mathematics test scores than do boys (Wu, 2017).
According to Angela Buzan (2016) this are the why some parents don’t participate in school
events because:
They do not have the luxury of time.
An hour meeting at five o’clock may not seem like much of a commitment, but let’s
not assume all parents work banking hours. For servers and customer service representatives,
five o’clock is the peak hour of business traffic. In other words, in some industries, this is
actually the most difficult and expensive block to request off.
They are afraid.
For some parents they didn’t finish high school because conferencing with the teacher
was a skill they never learned. This in context with anxiety could make a school event feel a lot
more complicated than just being physically present.
They Don’t Know How to be Involved
Some parents might not understand what you want them to do. They might ask themselves
questions such as: “Do I just stand here, or am I supposed to have a role?”; “Do I have to work
with other parents?”; “If I come once does that mean I will be expected to come all of the time?”;
“Will I embarrass my child if I don’t understand what is being taught?”
They Don’t Understand Why Involvement is Important
Some parents wonder: if the teacher is a master of their subject area, why do they need me?
Furthermore, some teenagers do not want their parent to attend events. Put these together and a
parent might wonder what exactly is the value of simple physical presence.
They Don’t Understand The Teacher
Teachers know that some parents do not speak English and some teachers arebysing
jargons. These reasons open up a range of considerations regarding parent input.
From the Strategix website, education is not something that only happens at school. Parents
have as much responsibility for their children’s education as teachers do. It should be a
collaborative effort, which is made easy by using tools such as Strategix’s Education
Relationship Management solution. A recent study on the importance of parents’ involvement in
their children’s education shed some light on the impact parents can have regarding the level of
involvement in their children’s education. The study, which formed the basis of SG Maluleke’s
thesis titled Parental involvement in their children’s education in the Vhembe District, examined
the level of input parents showed and the effects thereof. There are several roles that parents
should play in their children’s education:
Parental involvement enhances academic performance
Academic achievement increases when parents are involved in their children’s
education. The more intensively involved the parents are, the greater the positive impact on
academic achievement.
Parental involvement leads to better classroom behaviour
It not only enhances academic performance, but also has a positive influence on
learners’ attitudes and behaviour. A parent’s interest in and encouragement of his or her child’s
education can affect the child’s attitude towards school, classroom conduct, self-esteem,
absenteeism and motivation.
Parents should stay involved in their children’s education from preschool through to high
school
Parental involvement tends to be the greatest with young children and to then taper off
as children get older.
Training helps parents of disadvantaged children to get involved
Minority or low-income parents are less likely to be involved in their children’s
education than parents of non-disadvantaged children. If they receive adequate training and
encouragement, however, minority or low-income parents can be just as effective as other
parents in contributing to their children’s academic success.
Reading together at home greatly improves reading skills
Reading in particular improves significantly when parents and children read together at
home. Reading aloud with a child contributes significantly to the child’s reading abilities.
Schools can encourage parental involvement in many ways
Significant parental involvement is most likely to develop when schools actively seek
ways to get parents involved and offer training programmes to teach parents how to get involved
in their children’s education.
Parental involvement lifts teachers’ morale
Schools and teachers benefit from parental involvement because involved parents
develop a greater appreciation for the challenges that teachers face in the classroom.
Communication between home and school helps a teacher to know a learner better, which in turn
allows the teacher to teach the learner more effectively. Communication also helps to dispel any
mistrust or misperceptions that may exist between teachers and parents.
Parental involvement benefits children and parents
By becoming involved in their children’s education, parents get the satisfaction of
making a contribution to their children’s education and future. They have a better understanding
of the school curriculum and activities, and can be more comfortable with the quality of
education that their child is receiving. They spend more time with their children and are able to
communicate better with them. Some studies show that a parent’s participation in a child’s
education may inspire the parent to further his or her own education.
Time constraints are the greatest barrier to parental involvement
Lack of time is the main reason parents give for not participating more in their
children’s education. It is also cited by school personnel as a reason for not seeking parental
support more actively. Thus, effective solutions to enhanced parental involvement should include
freeing up time of parents and teachers or finding ways to work around their schedules.
Teachers indicated that parents who are highly involved are those whose children
are performing well. Strategix Education Relationship Management solution puts the control
back in your hands, providing you with the tools and resources necessary to ensure that parents
are a constant part of the conversation and are empowered to play a role in their children’s
education. It creates a channel of communication that will be invaluable in the teacher-parent
partnership.
How to improve parental involvement
Parental involvement workshops should be organised for school managers, teachers and
parents.
To improve parents’ attendance of school meetings, teachers should provide them with an
opportunity to communicate their expectations and concerns.
In relation to parents’ role in their children’s education, parents should be motivated to
ensure that their children accomplish their goals.
Parents should be empowered with skills of self-confidence, so that they will realise that
their children have potential.
Schools should encourage parents to play an important role as partners in their children’s
education.
Schools should develop their own school policy, in line with the Constitution.
Parents should be asked how they want to become involved, rather than imposing tasks
on them.
School managers, teachers and parents should respect each other because respect tends to
be reciprocal.
Teachers should not judge parents according to their inadequate level of education, and
should rather be submissive.
Teachers should behave ethically at all times, both at work and at home.
Effective communication should be encouraged between the school and home.
