Parental Involvement in a Child Education Project in Burkina Faso

Abstract

In the year 1992 a child education project was initiated in Burkina Faso by C.RE.D.O. (Christian Relief and Development Organization). This project sponsors disadvantaged children, to make it possible for them to attend school and improve their future living circumstances. However, the involvement of parents in the project and in the education of their child leaves much to be desired. To examine the causes of this perceived lack of parental involvement and what the parents need to improve this situation, multiple methods were used. During February and March 2009 interviews were conducted with parents, teachers and school directors at 11 schools in Burkina Faso and useful C.RE.D.O. documents and information were obtained as background information. According to the parents, they lacked sufficient and relevant information from C.RE.D.O. on the project and on possibilities to become more involved. The parents were not aware that C.RE.D.O. valued their involvement. Furthermore, all informants indicated that poverty also inhibits parental participation. A lack of food, and a lack of means to efficiently provide for enough food, is one of the main concerns parents have that keeps them from involving themselves in the education of their child. To increase parental involvement the parents need more stimulating information from C.RE.D.O. on the project and especially on possibilities to become involved. Next to this, the poverty of the parents has to be tackled to make improvement of involvement possible.