Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY OF THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION at the UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, 2007 / This study is about rural parents who are expected to participate in some of the activities and programmes of rural secondary schools. This is a questionable expectation because rural parents are mostly illiterate, i.e. they cannot read and write. This study revealed that the Department of Education is not doing enough to empower and enlighten rural parents in terms of skills investment This lack of support to rural communities is difficult to understand, as their plight and predicament is known to the Department of Education. Rural secondary learners have suffered a tremendous loss due to this lack of commitment. Rural secondary schools do not have sufficient teaching and learning aids that can enhance the teaching and learning process in rural secondary schools. It is recommended that the Department of Education's officials should visit rural secondary schools more often in order to address issues pertaining to these schools' infrastructures and parental involvement. Parental supervision should be established in each rural secondary school to optimise the learners' academic achievement. The school management teams (SMTs) should also welcome and assist with parental involvement. This study further revealed that subject advisors seldom visit rural secondary schools to review and monitor the learning and teaching process. It is recommended that subject advisors should visit each rural secondary school quarterly, i.e. once in every three months. Simultaneously, Superintendents of Education Management (SEMs) should workshop the school governing bodies (SGBs) of their duties at schools. Superintendents of Education Management are recommended to often visit rural secondary schools as "developers" and not as "judges". They should not only visit schools when there are problems, but also on ad hoc basis to ensure that the culture of teaching and learning is intact.

Thesis (M.N.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2002. / Bibliography: leaves 102-112.

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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, November, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

The role transport plays in enabling people access to services is very important. However, transport for school going children in rural areas has not been given much attention. Transport programmes aimed at improving access to schools by rural children cannot be successful in their formation and implementation without the full participation of parents. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to learn about the factors influencing caregivers' choices of the modes of transport for their school going children and to establish how caregivers view the importance of transport for their school going children, particularly in rural areas. One hundred and twenty six respondents were interviewed in this study. Two focus group interviews were conducted with teachers from eZinyonyana Primary and Mthende High Schools. It transpired that the majority of children walk to school. Most parents are aware of the problems associated with walking. However, the majority of them did not believe that walking could impact on their children's performance at school. This belief, though, differed with parents who perceive themselves too distant from school, hence believing that walking can affect their children's performance at school. Also, the majority of caregivers from communities furthest from schools believed that the availability of transport could improve their children's performance at school. They expected the government to provide transport for learners as most of them felt that even if transport can be made available, they could not still afford it since they are not employed. Although aware of the dangers associated with walking, some parents did not feel they could accompany their children school. This task was entirely left with the older children who are supposed to look after the younger ones on their way to and from school. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.