School involvement challenges faced by impoverished rural parents of learners with diagnosed disabilities

Abstract

Poverty and a lack of parental involvement have a dual negative effect on the academic performance of learners with learning disabilities, and are prevalent in rural areas. While parental involvement in schools in impoverished rural communities is very low, research indicates parental involvement is key in addressing barriers to learning and associated learning disabilities. This article reports on an analysis the nature and extent of parental involvement of learners with learning disabilities at schools in impoverished rural communities. A specific impoverished rural community in the Western Cape was targeted.  The community targeted is characterised by a combination of learners with learning disabilities and a lack of parental involvement. The analysis drew on Epstein’s theory of parental involvement and hematic data was analysed using a constant comparative method.