Parental Involvment in Children's Initial Literacy Learning In Primary Schools in Mungwi District,Zambia

This study sought to establish how primary schools ensured that there is Parental
involvement in children‟s initial literacy learning in primary schools. The following
objectives were addressed in the study: 1.to establish how primary schools ensure that
parents have opportunities for involvement in the literacy learning of their children. 2. to
ascertain how primary schools provide access for parents to participate in capacity building
opportunities that aim at improving their children‟s literacy skills 3.to establish whether or
not school organised Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meetings include components
that facilitate involvement of parents in their children‟s initial literacy learning 4. to
ascertain if there are any aspects of PI in the primary teacher training literacy syllabus that
address how teachers can involve parents in their children‟s literacy learning 5.to establish
what policy or policies primary schools have that foster PI in children‟s initial literacy
learning. The study utilised a qualitative data collection research design methodology. Data
was collected through document analysis, conducting interviews and focus group
discussions with 104 respondents who included 4 school administrators, 15 teachers, 40
parents and 40 grades 3 and 4 children drawn from four primary schools, 2 officials from
the Provincial Education Office (PEO) and 2 from the District Education Board Secretary‟s
(DEBS) office drawing participants from the Standards office and Teacher Education
Department respectively. 1 Head of Department (HoD) from a College of Education was
also included.
In this study, it was established that in teacher training college syllabuses, there were no
deliberate methodological strategies aimed at equipping teachers with skills that would help
them involve parents in the initial literacy learning of their children. The study further
established that the policy that could guide teachers on how to involve parents in their
children‟s initial literacy learning was incorporated in the National Homework Policy
developed by the Ministry of Education for all subjects across the curriculum although
DEBS and PEO officials appeared not to be aware of this. The study also established that
school organised PTA meetings did not facilitate PI in children‟s initial literacy learning in
primary schools. However, in many primary schools, PI in children‟s initial literacy
learning was only achieved through the strategies put in place by some cooperating partners
working with the schools such as Read To Succeed (RTS) a Non-governmental
organisation (NGO) supported by USAID. The study further established that with the help
of cooperating partners such as RTS, some parents and teachers were able to have access to
knowledge, information and material support used in the initial literacy teaching programs.
That way, parents were able to actively get involved in their children‟s initial literacy
learning. Some of the recommendations this study makes are that teacher education should
seriously consider including components on PI in the college literacy syllabus to facilitate
teachers‟ involvement of parents in children‟s initial literacy learning in primary schools;
DEBS and PEO officials should acquaint themselves with what the National Homework
Policy says on PI in children‟s Literacy learning for them to coordinate and reinforce PI in
children‟s literacy learning in primary schools. PEO and DEBS offices should take a
leading role in fostering PI in children‟s literacy learning to enhance sustainability in
primary schools