Rethinking Parental Involvement Interventions to Attain Sustainable Quality Education in South Africa

Abstract Parental involvement in the elite former Model C schools (Whites-only schools) in the Tshwane South District, South Africa, is a persistent challenge to attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4, focusing on quality education. Research on parental involvement in South Africa has mainly focused on public schools, not former Model C schools. This knowledge gap on the challenges to parental involvement and possible solutions has practical and policy implications, which this study seeks to explore. Using a mixed methods approach, this study is underpinned by Epstein’s model of parental involvement and Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s parental involvement model, triangulated to provide a stronger theoretical base. The findings identified parents’ low attendance at parent-teacher meetings and insufficient support given to children in their schoolwork and homework as the main challenges to parental involvement. These findings are linked to the dominant one, namely parents’ socioeconomic constraints, which undercut parents’ meaningful involvement in their children’s learning. The article recommends using virtual methods and holding hybrid parents’ meetings to communicate with them and maximise their participation, mobilising parents and introducing incentives to promote parental involvement.