Who are South African caregivers, how do they feel about education quality and what is their involvement in schools?

Abstract

This chapter reports on the first nationally representative study of South African parents’ and caregivers’ perceptions of educational quality and their self-reported involvement in schools. A module of the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS) was designed to elicit a holistic picture of parents’ and caregivers’ current experiences with and participation in their children’s schooling. Data that was collected provides detailed information on who South African parents/caregivers are, their financial and living conditions, and how they choose schools for their children. Additionally, the research was able to develop an understanding of how parents/ caregivers assess educational quality and the extent of their involvement in their child’s school. The importance of understanding parent/caregiver attitudes and perspectives towards schooling cannot be overstated. Globally, research has underscored the positive influence that parent/caregiver participation and engagement can have on learner confidence and performance (Williams & Sánchez 2012; Baquedano-López, Alexander & Hernandez 2013; Mncube 2010; Đurišić & Bunijevac 2017; Munje & Mncube 2018). However, research on parent/caregiver involvement regularly overlooks the fact that parents/caregivers are not a homogeneous group, as their personal identities and circumstances intersect with contextual differences between states and regions, the nature of education systems and societies, and the interactions between these dimensions at school level. The variation in how researchers and scholars conceptualize parent/caregiver participation needs to be informed by historical and contextual conditions, as the South African example so vividly demonstrates.