Validación

regard to their SES in society. Literature on the issue indicates that this fact could have an influence on the level of PI (Garcia et al., 2002; Hoover-Dempsey et al., 2005; Pena, 2000:52; Stacer & Perrucci, 2013). (Also see Chapter 2 section 2.4). However, most parents interviewed from School A do not believe that parents’ level of income necessarily influences their involvement in the education of their children. According to these parents (A2P, A3P and A4P), parents’ actual interest in their children’s schooling is more important than parents’ SES when it comes to the extent and quality of their involvement in their children’s education. Children need care and attention regardless of the level of the parents’ income. Parent A4P emphatically said that

Parents should prioritize the care of their children no matter the circumstances in which they find themselves. They should devote giving time for their children; mothers especially must not prioritize their work over the care of their children. In case they cannot strike a balance between their job and the care of their children, it’s better for them to quit the job.

This response points to the importance of ‘spontaneous’ PI as discussed in Chapter 2 section 2.3. Parent A3P likewise noted that money is not the main factor to be considered by parents when it comes to their involvement with their children’s upbringing and schooling. Of prime consideration is the quality time they put aside to spend with their children and this is not linked to SES in her opinion. She pointed out that a child can belong to a wealthy family and yet fail at school. It was the adequate monitoring of the child by their parents or guardian at home that would ensure success. This opinion was equally shared by Adelodun (2013:148) and Dearing, Kreider, Simpkins and Weisis (2006) who posited that increased PI had greater implications for learners’ literacy achievements than did parents’ income, maternal level of education or child ethnicity (See Chapter 2 section 2.3.2).

However, the other two parents believed that parents’ level of income does influence their involvement in their children’s education. Parent A1P indicated that working class parents are much more concerned about their career development thus their involvement in their children’s schooling is far less compared to that of LSES parents who seem to readily put aside time to monitor and support their children’s school work. She is of the belief that parents of higher SES do not have sufficient time to spend with their children since their time and effort is taken up

pursuing their careers. In addition, parent A5P also acknowledged that the economic situation of the country has prevented parents from spending as much time as they should or, perhaps, even what they would like to, with their children. Most parents are more concerned about being able to provide for the family than setting aside time to monitor their children’s schooling and as a result the children lack parental support in view of their schooling. She noted that the impact is mostly felt when both parents are working. This observation is consistence with the view of Olsen and Fuller (2008:94), who noted that when both parents are working, they spend less time with their children and they are less familiar with their children’s friends and what is going on in their children’s lives (see Chapter 2.2.3.3). In the course of the discussion she suggested that parents should be willing to share their time and act responsibly with regard to the education of their children. She further mentioned that it would be preferable if one of the parents was self-employed rather than both of them working for an employer as this would enable the self-employed parent to be more flexible and be able to monitor and support their children’s school work.

However, being a HSES or working class working parent does not exclude involvement in children’s education and, as mentioned previously, three of the five parents interviewed believed that SES did not influence PI. When the researcher further probed parents about the effect of SES on their involvement in the education of their children, parent A1P acknowledged that although she is a middle-class parent, she needs to make a concerted effort to engage in her children’s education after work. Thus, despite the fact that she is a working mother, she indeed finds time for this. Parent A2P stated that she believes that education is key to life’s sustainability and added that parents generally want their children to achieve more than their parents have done. To achieve this, parents must be ready to make sacrifices and give support to their children’s schooling. She commented that ‘…taking care of your children [in relation to their school work], will pay off in the future.’ In her opinion, parents, regardless of SES were willing to make this effort.

A3P emphasized the importance of education and suggested that parents should spend more time with their children to support them academically regardless of their SES. Parent A4P added that parents should value the care of their children no matter their SES. She reiterated, supporting a previous comment in this regard, ‘Mothers should not value their job over the care of their children else the parent should quit their job.’

Parent A5P indicated that she is a self-employed middle-class parent and consequently she is more flexible and was able to monitor her children’s school work on a daily basis. She suggested that all working parents should create time for their children – a point that one of the other working mothers had also affirmed.

When parents were asked the reason for sending their children to the private school rather than a public school, parent A1P indicated that the school is a good choice based on the fact that it is well resourced with learning facilities and learning support materials that aid learning and offer her child the best possible learning opportunities. Her explanation points to the institution’s financial capital which enables and supports learning. (The issue of financial capital was discussed in Chapter 2 section 2.4.) She also indicated that the school staff is friendly and diligent. Parent A2P also mentioned that the school is a good choice because the school offers a standard, uninterrupted educational program that is not destabilized by labor strikes unlike what happens in public schools in the area. She also acknowledged that the school is a good place for her children and she has confidence in the abilities of the teachers and school staff. Parents A3P and A4P also mentioned that the school is good for their children in terms of the educational standards that are set and upheld. Parent A5P said her consideration with regard to choosing this particular school for her child was its proximity to her home. Furthermore, she added that the school staff are friendly, and the school meets her expectations of quality education for her children. From the responses it would appear that the parents selected this school (representative of a HSES school) because of the quality of education it provided and the access their children had to good teachers and learning support materials which were probably not available in the other local public schools.

The researcher further asked the parents about the learning aids available in the home and the time spent in reading to assist their children with their school work and to support their children’s development generally. This question pointed to the social, human and financial capital embedded in the family which could facilitate learning, and which would support PI in the child’s learning experience. All the parents apart from A4P indicated they have a library at home and they regularly read with their children; parents A3P and A5P indicated this was a daily routine, while others indicated that on average they would generally read to their children twice a week and also during the school holidays. Parent A4P indicated that they do not have a library at home, yet despite this, she engaged with her children in reading over weekends.