Black Parental Involvement in South African Rural Schools: Will Parents Ever Help in Enhancing Effective School Management?

Abstract

The South African Schools Act (SASA), Act 108 of 1996 accorded the parents in public schools crucial role to play in
school governance. The parents are expected to guide their schools and help their communities as they ensure that schools
have a symbiotic relationship with the community. Parents serving in schools governance do not only help to uphold the
country’s Constitutional values and learners’ right to education. They are there to secure the future of their children and work
with the principals to steer the schools to success. Amongst others, the SASA wants to ensure that schools enhance the
elimination of poverty and instil a human rights culture. The parents serving in School Governing Bodies (SGBs) are supposed to
be part of this agenda. This study was conducted in a rural area in the Eastern Cape Province. Five principals raised concerns
about the conspicuous absence of parents in school governance and they attributed the lack of their schools’ effectiveness to
this. A qualitative study was conducted to investigate what the principals and their school management teams expected from
parents. The parents were also asked what they expected from schools and how they could be included meaningfully in school
governance. The parents highlighted a number of aspects on what could be done to involve them, including the use of traditional
leaders in fostering collaboration. There was also a strong case for schools to embrace African Indigenous Knowledge Systems
(AIKS) to make schools more relevant and meaningful.