A study dubbed "Parental involvement in children’s education in Rwanda: A case study of vulnerable families from Shyogwe Sector in Muhanga District”, has indicated that low level of education and illiteracy of parents is the main barrier against parental involvement in children’s education.

The study was carried out by scholars Cyprien Tabaro and Jeanne d’ Arc Uwamahoro from the Department of Humanities, Arts and Languages Education at University of Rwanda’s College of Education.

Researchers interviewed 1,118 vulnerable families from 1st Ubudehe category, teachers, school administrators and learners from G/S Shyogwe and Mbare Primary School in Muhanga District.

It indicates that the challenges which vulnerable families face include poverty, conflicts, and inadequate education.

Highlighting the barriers to parental involvement in children’s education, it shows that 70 per cent of parents cited low level of education and illiteracy as the main barrier while 69.9 per cent lack the time to be involved in their children’s education.

It also shows that 68.9 per cent of the respondents lack family basic needs and school needs due to poverty.

Parents’ lack of confidence stands at 29.4 per cent while 13 per cent think it is not their role to be involved in their children’s education.

It indicates that six per cent have no electricity and water, while divorce and conflict between parents was at 2.4 per cent, both barriers of children’s education.

"Some parents involve their children in housework more than school activities and others are busy,” reads the study.

In the study, school authorities say there is extreme poverty of parents, lack of financial means to buy school materials, lack of basic needs, lack of enough food due to lack of cultivation land.

They also mention that some children complained that they did not go to school regularly due to lack of food, and they were unable to attend class because they had not eaten.

"Some parents have a poor mind-set and they are less motivated to be involved in their children’s education. They think that the education of their children concerns the school and authorities only, and getting involved in their children’s education is not their role.”

Recommendations

Some parents are against the idea that children can read books at home, because when children are home, it is used as an opportunity to help them with housework, instead of revising what they learnt in school, the study shows.

The researchers suggest that if given the resources and support, parents can get more involved in their children’s education.

"Parents need to receive adequate supportive educational training so that they can understand their role in the education of their children,” reads part of the study.

It mentions that extreme poverty should be reduced among vulnerable families as a way to motivate them, and also create time to collaborate with schools and provide relevant educational support to their children.

This, it says, will increase learners’ performance and lead to future success of the children.

"Parents need to be motivated and regularly sensitised to understand the role of their involvement in children’s education, facilitate them to conduct small scale projects to get financial means in order to buy school materials for their children,” the study recommends.

It also indorses providing advocacy to vulnerable parents, providing school materials to children from vulnerable families, frequently motivating and encouraging parents to be involved in their children’s education. 

"It should be better if parents are motivated to help children revise, visit schools frequently, encourage children to read books, buy enough school materials, help with homework, attend school meetings and other volunteering relations, and save money, among other things,” the study says.