Ubunye: Empowering parents in disadvantaged rural communities in South African communities to support classroom learning

Twenty-one years into democracy in South Africa, access to quality education still eludes those who cannot afford to pay for it. The socio-economic adversities
facing the communities in which schools are situated play a large role in their
dysfunction. Yet, within such communities there is a wealth of human resources
that can add real value to the quality of teaching and learning. This project aims
to develop community members as teaching assistants, who will work hand in
hand with teachers to develop a culturally and contextually relevant programme to empower parents/guardians to partner with the school in the education of their children. An action research design, using a qualitative approach to data
generation and analysis, will ensure the participation of all stakeholders in the
design, implementation and evaluation of the programme. The development of
such a programme will help to improve parental involvement, as well as equip
unemployed community members with skills that will improve their chance of
formal employment and enhance personal development.