Parents' participation in public primary schools in Botswana: perceptions and experiences of headteachers

Abstract

The idea of involving parents in the school system is universal and as old as the history and philosophy of education itself. This study investigated the public school headteachers’ experiences and perceptions about the level of parental involvement in the public primary school system in Botswana. The theories guiding this study are that of Epstein’s three spheres of influence and Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s model of three level construct. A quantitative design through a medium of a questionnaire for data collection was employed. Out of a total 745 headteachers of public or government primary schools, 63.4% responded to the questionnaire. An important result of the study is that there is minimal parental support especially in rural and remote areas and in boarding primary school system in Botswana. Three recommendations of this study are, the creation of a parent education programme, a policy for the support and participation of parents of children in boarding schools, and further research to tap on the voices of the parents.