The role of parents in discipline as an aspect of school safety
by
Patience Ignatia Mphomotseng Moloi
MINI-DISSERTATION
submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree
MAGISTER EDUCATION'S
in
EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT
in the
FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND NURSING
at the
RAND AFRIKAANS UNIVERSITY
Supervisor: Prof J M Squelch
September 2002 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the following, for, without their guidance, inspiration and encouragement I would have not managed to complete this study.
Alpha and Omega, The Almighty God, for giving me the power and the strength to remain optimistic despite difficulties I experienced during my studies.
Prof. J.M Squelch, (Supervisor) for her untiring words of advice, guidance and encouragement she offered. Your invaluable input affected this success.
Mrs Debra Moloi, My Mother, for encouragement, motherly love and care and the financial support she offered when I sometimes had financial constraints.
My sons, Khantsho, Bonga and Thuso, and my niece, Neue, for patience, love and understanding when I had to leave them during the middle of the night for RAU.
My brothers and sisters for their unshakeable support.
J.J Xulu, for his loving, unfailing encouragement and for lending me his computer and car throughout my studies.
Sizeni and Bheki Ndebele, my friends, for sleepless nights assisting me with computer skills and allowing me to use their computer without any costs.
Dr E.J Mkhatshwa of the University of Zululand, for editing my work.
The secondary schools and parents that gave me an opportunity to conduct interviews. ABSTRACT This research focuses on the legal obligation entrusted on parents regarding discipline and safety in schools. The research, therefore, aims at examining the way parent involvement contributes to discipline and safety in public secondary schools.
The literature study revealed that discipline is an indicator of safety and school effectiveness. It has also become apparent that parents have rights and duties to perform with regard to discipline and safety of learners in schools. To explore and gain understanding of this phenomenon the qualitative research design, which is exploratory, descriptive and contextual was used (Mason, 1997:4-5). The following research methods were employed to collect empirical data, namely: literature study, focus group interviews and field notes. The constant comparative method was used to analyse empirical data.
The following main categories emerged from the data analysed:
Disciplined schools are orderly and high performing
A disciplined school is perceived as the one with a code of conduct for learners, the positive relationships between educators and learners and between educators and parents. In such a school the leadership of the head is strong and effective because parents support it. A disciplined school is also drug, alcohol and weapon- free and learners perform and achieve outstandingly.
Safe schools are healthy and caring places
A safe school provides security for learners and tight rules of access into the school. The healthy school environment is characterised by educators who perform their duty to care for learners under their authority. Threats to school safety and discipline come from various sources
Behavioural problems may stem from poor economic family conditions and the way parents behave in the face of their children. Conflicting cultures between educators and learners may cause misunderstanding, which may result in violent behaviour. If learners are left unsupervised for a long time and educators are invisible in the school premises and classrooms, learners get space for discussing and acting mischievously. Educators are role models to learners. So, if they exhibit unacceptable behaviour they may impact negatively to discipline and safety.
Anti-social behaviour harms the school culture
Violent behaviour is a threat to school safety, and thus, impacts negatively on the culture of learning and teaching. As learners are affected, they may leave school for better-disciplined schools or as dropouts. The staff retention is also affected, as educators have to be redeployed to other schools with better learner enrolment.
Parent are co-responsible for promoting school safety and discipline
Parents as primary educators have to teach discipline from home by being positive role models. They also have to provide for and maintain educational resources by raising funds for the school so that the educational needs of the child are met. School discipline may be maintained if parents provide their children with the necessary school resources. Parents have also to provide security to learners and promote respect for the school property. OPSOMMING
Hierdie studie fokus op die wetlike verantwoordelikheid van ouers vir dissipline en veiligheid in skole. Die studie het gevolglik ten doel om ondersoek in te stel na die manier waarop die betrokkenheid van ouers bydra tot dissipline en veiligheid in openbare skole.
Die bronnestudie het aan die lig gebring dat dissipline 'n aanwyser is van veiligheid en effektiwiteit in skole. Dit het ook duidelik geword dat ouers regte en verpligtinge het ten opsigte van die dissipline en veiligheid van leerders in skole. Ten einde hierdie verskynsel te verken en te verstaan, is die kwalitatiewe navorsingsraamwerk, wat ondersoekend, deskriptief en kontekstueel van aard is, gebruik (Mason, 1997:4-5). Die volgende navorsingsmetodes is gebruik om empiriese data te versamel: bronnestudie, onderhoude met fokusgroepe en aantekeninge van veldwerk. Die deurlopend vergelykende model is gebruik om empiriese data te ontleed.
Die volgende hoofpunte het aan die lig gekom uit die data wat geanaliseer is:
Skole waarin goeie dissipline gehandhaaf word, is ordelik en presteer goed.
`n Skool waarin goeie dissipline gehandhaaf word, is een waarin dam - 'n gedragskode bestaan vir leerders asook vir positiewe verhoudings tussen opvoeders en leerders en tussen opvoeders en ouers. In so 'n skool is die leierskap van die hoof sterk en effektief aangesien dit deur die ouers ondersteun word. 'n Gedissiplineerde skool is ook dwelm-, alkohol- en wapenvry en die prestasie van die leerders is uitstaande.
'n Veilige skool bied 'n gesonde en geborge omgewing aan leerders.
`n Veilige skool bied sekuriteit aan leerders en streng toegangsreels word gehandhaaf. `n Gesonde skoolruimte word gekenmerk deur opvoeders wat hul plig doen deur met sorg om te sien na die leerders in hulle gesag. Veiligheid en dissipline in skole word bedreig uit verskillende oorde.
Gedragsprobleme kan voortvloei uit swak ekonomiese toestande in die familie en die gedrag van ouers teenoor hul kinders. Botsende !culture tussen opvoeders en leerders kan misverstande veroorsaak, wat mag lei tot gewelddadige gedrag. Situasies waarin leerders vir lang periodes sonder toesig gelaat word en die opvoeders nie sigbaar is op skoolgronde of in die klaskamer nie, hied 'n vrugbare teelaarde vir die beplanning en uitvoering van kattekwaad. Opvoeders is rolmodelle vir leerders. Indien hulle dus op `n onaanvaarbare manier optree, werk dit negatief in op dissipline en veiligheid.
Anti-sosiale gedrag skaad die skoolkultuur.
Gewelddadige gedrag is 'n bedreiging vir veilighied in skole en werk dus negatief in op 'n kultuur van leer en onderrig. Indien leerders geaffekteer word, mag hulle die skool verlaat vir beter gedissiplineerde skole of hulle kan skoolbywoning geheel staak. Die behoud van personeel word ook geaffekteer, aangesien opvoeders oorgeplaas moet word na ander skole met beter leerdergetalle.
Ouers is medeverantwoordelik vir die bevordering van veiligheid en dissipline in skole.
Ouers as primere opvoeders moet hul kinders dissipline tuis leer deur positiewe rolmodelle te wees. Hulle moet ook die nodige stappe neem om die beskikbaarheid van opvoedkundige hulpbronne te verseker sodat voorsien kan word in die kind se opvoedkundige behoeftes. Skooldissipline kan gehandhaaf word as ouers hul kinders voorsien van die nodige hulpbronne. Ouers moet ook voorsiening maak vir die sekuriteit van leerders en moet respek vir skooleiendom aanmoedig. i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
PAGE 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM 2 1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 7 1.4 AIMS OF THE RESEARCH 8
1.5 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 8 1.5.1 Research approach 9 1.5.2 Literature study 10 1.5.3 Data collection method 10 1.5.3.1 Sampling 10 1.5.3.2 Focus group interview 11 1.5.4 Data analysis 11
1.6 DERMACATION OF RESEARCH 12
1.7 CLARIFICATION OF CONCEPTS 12 1.7.1 Parent 13 1.7.2 Discipline 13 1.7.3 Safety 13