Mothers in developing countries like South Africa need to play a greater role in the education of their children, according to a report discussed at the Global Development Network (GDN) in Lima, Peru last month.
The report suggested that by spending more time helping their children do homework, mothers could help their children perform better at school. However its authors recognised that throughout the world, particularly in developing countries, there were a number of barriers to this.
“In low-income households parents spend less time on educational activities with their children. But children will be more productive learners when their parents dedicate resources and productive time to their education,” read the report.
The amount of resources and time mothers spent on child learning and how productive these children then were, could be influenced by a number of the following factors:
lA parent’s own experiences with the process of learning influences the nature of their involvement and how productive their involvement is. More literate mothers are more likely to help their children with homework;
lA parent’s expectations and aspirations can directly influence their child’s motivation levels; and
lIf mothers have a preference for certain educational outcomes, their own knowledge of what this entails will drive them to acquire the necessary educational assets or allocate their time accordingly.
In India a system called Child Home Activities and Materials Packet (CHAMP) intervention is used to assist children.
This system is designed to engage mothers with their children’s learning at home. “Mothers are shown how to review their children’s school notebooks, discuss their children’s learning with their school teacher and encourage their children to do schoolwork at home.”
And in Turkey mothers are trained to help educate their children at home.
However, the researchers said there were few studies which looked at what aids were available in developing countries, including South Africa, to encourage parents to become more involved in their children’s schooling.
While no government programme exists to train mothers to help educate their children, the Daily Dispatch undertook its own mini investigation to see what parents were doing to help their children and what barriers existed to prevent this from happening.
Beacon Bay resident Buyiswa Gxekwa said her seven-year-old daughter, Somila, always brought her homework after school.
“ I went to school it’s difficult for me to help her with her homework. I always ask her to do it at school or call teachers or other kids to help,” she said.
Nomthunzi Mbiko, a teacher from East London who is currently based in Johannesburg, said barriers to parents helping their kids with homework included that they often worked away from the home where their children were being raised.
She said another barrier would be when there was discord between parents as this often took their focus off their children.
Mbiko said parents could not rely on teachers to provide the best education. “The best education starts with parents. If we can assist teachers by spending at least a few hours , then we would give our children the best education ever. We need to get involved.”
Nobuntu Mbovane, a Grade 7 school dropout who is working as a domestic worker in the East London surburb of Beacon Bay, said she did not have time to assist her children, both in high school, and in any event she would not be able to understand what they were being taught.
“All I do is to motivate them to work hard and not to rely on me for any of their homework,” said Mbovane.
On the other hand, elderly Nozizwe Peter from Ducats township in Beacon Bay said while she knew nothing about school work she did assist her grandchildren. “The school work is not for elderly people like me who never went that far at school but I am assisting so that they know I am doing my best to help them get a better education.”
The report backed up these examples, saying that a study entitled “Theory of Change” suggested that throughout all developing countries mothers would like to help their children learn, but often lacked the skills, awareness and or experience to do anything at home.
“Nearly every mother in our baseline reported that they believed parents could do more to improve the learning,” read the report.
Community leader Lungani Sanqela of Ducats said there were plans for the community to have “study centres” for schoolgoing children.
“We need such centres for those kids who don’t have mothers to assist them with their homework. We need something along the lines of home schooling where many children can share their school after school.
“A united community can do that and we are planning to be such a community,” said Sanqela.
Moms vital to educating kids
The report suggested that by spending more time helping their children do homework, mothers could help their children perform better at school. However its authors recognised that throughout the world, particularly in developing countries, there were a number of barriers to this.
“In low-income households parents spend less time on educational activities with their children. But children will be more productive learners when their parents dedicate resources and productive time to their education,” read the report.
The amount of resources and time mothers spent on child learning and how productive these children then were, could be influenced by a number of the following factors:
lA parent’s own experiences with the process of learning influences the nature of their involvement and how productive their involvement is. More literate mothers are more likely to help their children with homework;
lA parent’s expectations and aspirations can directly influence their child’s motivation levels; and
lIf mothers have a preference for certain educational outcomes, their own knowledge of what this entails will drive them to acquire the necessary educational assets or allocate their time accordingly.
In India a system called Child Home Activities and Materials Packet (CHAMP) intervention is used to assist children.
This system is designed to engage mothers with their children’s learning at home. “Mothers are shown how to review their children’s school notebooks, discuss their children’s learning with their school teacher and encourage their children to do schoolwork at home.”
And in Turkey mothers are trained to help educate their children at home.
However, the researchers said there were few studies which looked at what aids were available in developing countries, including South Africa, to encourage parents to become more involved in their children’s schooling.
While no government programme exists to train mothers to help educate their children, the Daily Dispatch undertook its own mini investigation to see what parents were doing to help their children and what barriers existed to prevent this from happening.
Beacon Bay resident Buyiswa Gxekwa said her seven-year-old daughter, Somila, always brought her homework after school.
“ I went to school it’s difficult for me to help her with her homework. I always ask her to do it at school or call teachers or other kids to help,” she said.
Nomthunzi Mbiko, a teacher from East London who is currently based in Johannesburg, said barriers to parents helping their kids with homework included that they often worked away from the home where their children were being raised.
She said another barrier would be when there was discord between parents as this often took their focus off their children.
Mbiko said parents could not rely on teachers to provide the best education. “The best education starts with parents. If we can assist teachers by spending at least a few hours , then we would give our children the best education ever. We need to get involved.”
Nobuntu Mbovane, a Grade 7 school dropout who is working as a domestic worker in the East London surburb of Beacon Bay, said she did not have time to assist her children, both in high school, and in any event she would not be able to understand what they were being taught.
“All I do is to motivate them to work hard and not to rely on me for any of their homework,” said Mbovane.
On the other hand, elderly Nozizwe Peter from Ducats township in Beacon Bay said while she knew nothing about school work she did assist her grandchildren. “The school work is not for elderly people like me who never went that far at school but I am assisting so that they know I am doing my best to help them get a better education.”
The report backed up these examples, saying that a study entitled “Theory of Change” suggested that throughout all developing countries mothers would like to help their children learn, but often lacked the skills, awareness and or experience to do anything at home.
“Nearly every mother in our baseline reported that they believed parents could do more to improve the learning,” read the report.
Community leader Lungani Sanqela of Ducats said there were plans for the community to have “study centres” for schoolgoing children.
“We need such centres for those kids who don’t have mothers to assist them with their homework. We need something along the lines of home schooling where many children can share their school after school.
“A united community can do that and we are planning to be such a community,” said Sanqela.
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