Strengthening school-community partnership for quality education in Seed secondary schools in West Nile region, Uganda.

Abstract

The school and the community environment each offer a wealth of opportunities and support in order to achieve quality education. The mixed method study grounded on the theory of overlapping spheres of influence was meant to explore the strategies head teachers of seed secondary schools would employ to foster school-community partnership for quality education in West Nile, Uganda. Specific objective was to examine the strategies head teachers employ to foster school-community partnership for quality education in West Nile and the challenges head teachers face in fostering school-community partnership for quality education in West Nile region. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews of head teachers (n=3), chairpersons of Board of Governors (n=3) and chairpersons of Parents Teachers’ Association (n=3). Focus group discussions were held with students from the three selected seed secondary schools (n=30) and 30 teachers from the three selected seed secondary schools responded to the questionnaires. Data was also collected through analyzing documents such as minutes of School Boards of Governors (BOGs) and Parents Teachers’ Association (PTA), circulars, visitors’ books and parents’ visitation days’ attendance books. The study revealed that the head teachers used meetings, school and home visits, community leaders and School Open Days as strategies to foster school-community partnership. However, poverty, parents’ low level of education, negative attitudes of some parents towards education, lack of accountability and lack of parents’ meeting were found to be challenges to fostering school-community partnership.