Parental and Community Involvement in Kenya's Primary Education

Abstract

To improve the access to quality primary education in Kenya, parental and community can be used as a cost-effective mean. Little is known about the vision and practices of Formal Non-Parental Adults (NPAs) towards parental and community involvement in Kenya. Insight in this topic can contribute to the further development of Edukans' tool for parental involvement in terms of cultural sensitivity and a community-based approach. In-depth interviews were held with nineteen Formal NPAs of six primary schools in Kismu County. The results indicated that the vision (attitude, perceived social influence and self-efficacy and skills) and experienced barriers of Formal NPAs prevented them from involving parents in participation and establishing partnerships with the school. In contrast, it was found that Professionals were regarded to contribute positively to the education. This study recommends to promote the protective factor social networks of schools and to align the practices at school with the upbringing at home. This is expected to contribute to the formation of an educative civil society in which children can enjoy an optimal development. Keywords: Parental involvement, community, primary education, Kenya