There is growing evidence suggesting that increased parental participation in education fosters a child’s learning. SEF has made continuous efforts to involve the parents in the educational process, a practice uncharacteristic of the public schools in Pakistan.

As part of its Community Supported Schools (CSS) Program, SEF has established parental bodies (called Village Education Committees – VECs) to engage parents in establishment, administration and management of school in each village. Serious commitment of communities is vital to CSS sustainability. SEF therefore felt the need to understand parents’ perceptions vis-à-vis their involvement in the education of their children. The Data Processing and Research Cell (DPRC) * carried out an exploratory study in a randomly selected CSS school in a village near Larkana. In-depth interviews were done with a multi-stage sample of 20 parents. Study findings revealed that while parents realized the importance of educating their children (mainly linking it up with employment), most considered themselves ill-equipped to play a (direct) role in the pedagogical process. Parents also highlighted the concern that education within the present socio-economic setup of the country prepares their children for very limited economic possibilities. Recommendations by the researchers suggest carrying out open discourse and further study in order to establish a more contextualized understanding of the role these schools are to play in the communities. This would facilitate the educators and implementers in conception of strategies for parental involvement in alliance with parents themselves.

The phenomenon of parental involvement remains a complex one and no generic formula can be applied to any situation. Certain areas need strengthening in order to make the future CSS program policies for involving parents in pedagogy sustained and more meaningful. The process could further open doors to ensure that education falls in line with the social realities and the indigenous knowledgebase and addresses the inequalities which exist in our society through representing diverse academic, cultural, and economic situations in pedagogical issues.