parents and principals as partners in creating a culture of learning

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By combining the forces of the home, the school and the community the quality
of education can be much improved. However, this is a task that no school can
undertake on its own.
Van Schalkwyk (1990:19-24) and Kruger (1996:33) cite, among others, the
following essential reasons for parent involvement in order to create and promote
a culture of learning:
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Parent involvement is a matter of principle. Parents, on the strength of
their parenthood are the primary and natural educators of their children,
and are therefore fully responsible for their formal and informal education.
Parents are co-responsible for what happens to their children in formal
education.
Parent involvement informal education is compulsory by law. The South
African Schools Act, 84 of 1996 makes provision for parent involvement.
Parents are obliged to see that their children attend school for as long as
they are of school age.
Formal education alone cannot completely meet the needs ofthe twentyjirst
century. The school alone cannot satisfy all the requirements for complete,
comprehensive, differentiated, normative and relevant education. For the
sake of complete education parents need to play a supportive role in formal
education.
Guaranteeforupholding community values. By becoming involved in their
children's education, parents can ensure that the values, spirit, direction
and character of the community are established and upheld in the school.