The role of parents and community in the management of student discipline in a secondary school

Date of Award

12-2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

First Supervisor/Advisor

Dr. Abdalla Mohamed

Second Supervisor/Advisor

Ms. Mary Anyango Oluga

Department

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Abstract

The need to improve education quality continues to dominate education policy discourse in Uganda. Good education is not only about physical inputs but also about effective parental and community involvement in children‘s learning and behavior management. This study examined: the roles of parents and community involvement in the management of student discipline and the challenges faced in a bid to involve them in the management of student discipline in a secondary school in Offaka Sub County, Arua District. In this study a qualitative approach was adopted which employed face to face interviews, focus group discussion and document analysis as the techniques of data gathering. The specific questions guiding this study were: (1) what roles do parents and community play in the management of student discipline in a Secondary School? (2) How does the school involve parents and community in the management of student discipline? (3)What challenges does the school face in involving parents and community in the management of student discipline? (4)What are the challenges parents and community face in the management of student discipline? The findings from the study revealed that parents and community play significant roles in the management of student discipline. These roles include; provision of guidance and counseling, parental monitoring of children, monitoring children‘s discipline, and participating in school programmes. The study‘s findings revealed that the school involves parents and community in the management of student discipline through meetings and school functions like prefectural inauguration. The findings revealed lack of structures, lack of behavior management skills, negative attitude of some parents, parents abdicating their roles, lack of cooperation from the parents, and family background as challenges faced by the school in involving parents and community. The study findings further found that; peer influence, low education levels, lack of support from the community, time, moral decay in the community, language barrier and parents‘ current life contexts as some of the challenges parents and community face in the management of student discipline. The study made the following recommendations; the school needs to design programmes and activities that involve parents and communities in the management of student discipline and parents and community need to support the school‘s efforts in managing student discipline.

This document is available in the relevant AKU library

Share

COinS