Perspectives on Parental Involvement in Education Governance Amid Decentralisation: A Study of Secondary Schools in Fako Division, Cameroon

Aim: This study explored parental participation in education governance in public secondary schools in Cameroon, with a focus on involvement in the three core dimensions of educational decentralisation: school politics, administrative decision-making, and fiscal management. Methods: This study is framed within Freeman’s Stakeholder Theory and Parker’s Soufflé Theory of Decentralisation. These theories emphasise the importance of meaningful stakeholder engagement and a balanced approach to decentralisation, respectively, the study employed a survey research design. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 300 parents, selected through stratified random sampling from various government secondary schools across Fako Division. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages. Results: The findings reveal that parents are relatively engaged in school politics (60.7%), primarily through Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and School Management Boards (SMBs). However, their participation in administrative decision-making (32%) and fiscal management (49.4%) remains below the recommended levels of involvement as per national policies and the academic literature. While parents contribute financially, they exert minimal influence over budget allocation, expenditure decisions, and financial oversight. Likewise, their involvement in shaping school policies, teacher recruitment, and project execution is marginal. The results further indicate that despite decentralisation efforts, parental participation remains largely consultative rather than substantive. Key barriers include poor communication, economic limitations, lack of expertise, and weak policy enforcement. Conclusion: There is a pressing need for robust policy interventions to better align practice with established theoretical frameworks on educational governance. Recommendations: The government should develop clearer guidelines for parental involvement, and promote greater financial transparency through measures such as the establishment of financial oversight committees within organised parent structures, standardised financial reporting templates, and open budget discussions. Also, implementing capacity-building initiatives, such as regular parent forums and training sessions would empower parents to engage more meaningfully and effectively in school governance processes.