“You give everything the child requires to attend school”: Exploring caregiver involvement in children’s education in Ghana

<ns3:p>Background Parents’ and other primary caregivers’ involvement in children’s education is a major goal of education systems worldwide. However, the current literature lacks a broad understanding of what educational involvement means for parents in West African settings, and the factors that drive or limit their involvement. Methods We examined caregivers’ views on their roles and involvement in and barriers to child education with 132 caregivers from rural and peri-urban communities in three regions of Ghana, using focus group discussions. Results Most caregivers limited their involvement in providing basic and material resources. However, caregivers with a higher education discussed supporting their children’s homework. Four types of barriers to caregiver involvement were identified: social and economic, caregiver and family, educational system, and child-level factors. Conclusion Our findings can inform context-tailored interventions and policies aimed at improving caregiver involvement, which is a key driver of educational outcomes.</ns3:p>