parents and principals as partners in creating a culture of learning

[ 26 1
2.5 LACK OFPARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN FORMAL EDUCATION
In 1994 extensive research was conducted on hundreds of teachers in the vicinity
of Pretoria. The following includes some of the findings of this research (Van
Wyk, 1996b:27-28).
2.5.1 Problems with parents
With regard to the involvement of parents in the education of their children,
teachers are of the opinion that:
*
*
*
*
*
*
parents were uninterested in what was happening in school;
parents are negative towards the school and teachers;
parents are mostly uneducated and there is a high rate of illiteracy;
parents are unwilling to accept responsibility for school matters;
parents felt intimidated by the school. its staff members, the organised
student movement and the prevailing political climate; and
parents are unable to play a role in the education of their children because
of a lack of training.
2.5.2 Problems with the school and the principal
Whereas. most teachers placed the blame for the lack of parental involvement on
parents, a significant number of teachers indicated that: