Improving learning outcomes in rural Uganda through parental and community influence

• In Event: Education, Community and the Private Sphere

Proposal

According to a recent study by the World Bank, parental engagement in Uganda is low compared to other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and varies significantly by region, income, and gender. The study found that only 37% of parents reported helping their children with homework at least once a week, and only 28% reported attending school activities at least once a term.
To understand the important roles of parents in the education of children, this paper will discuss experience from the pilot of the regional Parental Empowerment and Engagement (PE&E) framework developed in East Africa. This framework has key pillars that highlight parents as agents of children’s learning. In the pilot of this PE&E framework in Uganda, we have learned critical areas for consideration to promote parents and teachers’ agencies in the education of children. We have found that this requires collaboration and understanding several factors around policies and practices by different stakeholders. Parents and caregivers are key ingredients to foster learning for children and more than half of children in low- and middle-income countries could not read and understand a simple text by age 10 according to literature review.
In poor countries, this “learning poverty” rate was as high as 80 percent due to COVID-19, an additional 10 percent of children globally will fall into “learning poverty” (UNICEF Data for action 2022 report). Therefore, this learning crisis will need collective efforts from both parents and teachers.
This presentation will further discuss from the experience the factors that influence parental engagement in a rural and post conflict community of Uganda. Parents’ collaboration with teachers and schools contribute to children's learning and their well-being both at home and at school. The implementation of this PE&E intervention identified the barriers and facilitators of parental engagement, as well as the outcomes and impacts of different types of engagements. We will also present the role of culture, context, and community in shaping parental engagement. This presentation gives an inclusive understanding of how parents in a rural community perceive and practice engagement, and how their engagement affects their children's academic and social development. From our experience, schools can work with parents to create a welcoming environment for parents and caregivers, providing opportunities for parent-teacher meetings and other forms of communication, offering parent education programs that help parents support their children’s learning at home, and involving parents in school decision-making processes from informed point of view. The same way, learners can work with parents by communicating with them about their learning goals and progress, asking for help when needed, and sharing what they are learning with their parents.

Author

• Emmy Zoomlamai Okello, Foundation for Inclusive Community Help FICH