Home School Communication in a Rural South African Village: Implications for Teaching and Teacher Education

In South Africa, the lack of teacher training in parent involvement is compounded by the teacher shortage in general and the overall shortfall of qualified teachers. This article describes a project developed for one of the communities in South Africa to enhance students' knowledge of and comfort with parent involvement. This study aims to answer the following questions: (1) How do parents view their children's education in comparison to their own?; (2) How do they feel about schooling now as compared to their own schooling?; (3) How would they like to be approached by teachers?; (4) Do they feel welcome at school?; and (5) What kinds of communication do they have with the school staff? The interviews with parents yielded insights into their perceptions of schooling. Findings of the study--which fall into three basic categories: struggles to learn, current problems in education, and wishes for the future--are presented.