parents and principals as partners in creating a culture of learning

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limited. More recently, however, there has been a gradual move away from a
total separation between home and school towards an increasing awareness and
recognition of the central role ofparents as equal partners in the education process
(Squelch & Bray, 1996:212). Education is not solely the responsibility of
principals and teachers. Effective and meaningful education requires the
participation of both principals and parents (Lemmer & Squelch, 1993:96).
Although the premise exists that the parents and the principals are indispensable
partners in the education process to create a culture of learning, the situation is far
from satisfactory. Parental involvement in and acceptance of responsibilities for
their children's education does not exist. The cause for this state of affairs rests
with the parents and principals (Badenhorst (ed.), 1995: I 10).
The parent-principal relationship has a common goal - the education of the child.
Although parents and principals are united by this common purpose, practice has
shown that undefined roles in the respective rights and obl igations of the associates
have led to disharmony in the relationship (Oosthuizen, 1992: 12l). Parent
involvement according to Van Schalkwyk (1994:5) is perceived as a threat by
many principals because they do not know what it entails, how they should
"handle" parents, or how they should exploit this phenomenon to the advantage of
the school and the pupils.
Schools are man-made, secondary designs which were created because parents no
longer felt fully competent to perform their educative tasks (Van Schalkwyk,
1988:265). The relationship between the home and the school is supplementary
education-and not substitutive education. The school can never replace the home,
and the principal is never a substitute for the parents. A principal is never in loco
parentis (in place of the parent) but in fact fulfils his educative task cum parente
(together with parents). That is why it is so important that the principal should be
aware of and show respect for the values and norms that are observed in the home
and in society (Munnik & Swanepoel, 1990:77). Parents on the other hand