“It Would Help to Know What Our Children Are Taught”: A Cry of the Voiceless Parents Pertaining School Curriculum Development

Abstract

School education ministries in many countries, globally, purportedly advocate for parental involvement in the education of their children. Accordingly, associations that are designed, at least on paper, to accommodate parents in school related issues exist in many schools world-wide. In South Africa, where the current study was conducted, these structures are known as School Governing Bodies (SGBs). Like their counterparts, elsewhere, parents in SGBs discharge responsibilities, such as recruitment and selection of school personnel, financial management and enforcing learner discipline. This study was prompted by the paucity of research regarding parental involvement in curriculum development. Accordingly, this qualitative case study employed one-on-one interviews with parents who were members of SGBs in three schools in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The aim was to probe their perceptions regarding their role on curriculum issues. Like numerous studies conducted previously concerning the role of parents at school, the findings of this research suggest that parents are marginalised when it comes to curriculum issues. The research recommends that more studies of similar nature be conducted and that education authorities must strive to empower parents to enable them to participate meaningfully in curriculum issues.