Role of school principal in promotion of school home relationship: case of government secondary schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Principal is the bridge between community and school. However, principal’ role in parental participation in education is negligible in Pakistan. This has affected the quality of education in the country. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of principal in parental participation in education at secondary level in district Chitral, Pakistan. This study investigated the perceptions of 100 government secondary school principals. Questionnaire was used to collect data. The collected data was interpreted and presented in simple percentage and diagrams. Results of the study showed that in Pakistan school principals do not play an active role in promoting parental participation. According to principals parental participation means sending their children to schools only. Hence, parents are not encouraged to participate in the education process of their children. School principals at secondary level do not know the ways and means of involving parents in the education process. They lack motivating and management skills to engage parents in education process. The study further discovered that principals consider parental involvement in education as interference in school affairs. Ironically, the principals accept that parental participation is essential for education. However, the study explored that principals consider parents ill-equipped in terms of knowledge and skills to understand the process of education. According to the principals parental involvement in education will create more management issues for schools rather than solutions. On the basis of this study it recommended that principals should be provided comprehensive training on the concept of parental participation in education. For this purpose strong parent teacher associations should be formed and actively monitored. Schools teachers could be trained in keeping close relationship with parents whose children are in the school. Parents could be invited to schools through conferences, meetings and other national and international events. This will strengthen the relationship between school and home and improve the quality of education as well.