Parental Involvement in Education, Challenges and Recommendations for the Future

• Author: Mexhit Hajdari Flutura Muja
• Position: University of Tirana, Kukës Branch, Albania
• Pages: 84-91

IIPCCL Publishing, Tirana-Albania

Academic Journal of Business, Administration, Law and Social Sciences Vol. 1 No. 3

November 2015

ISSN 2410-3918

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

84

Parental Involvement in Education, Challenges and Recommendations for

the Future

Mexhit Hajdari

University of Tirana, Kukës Branch, Albania

Flutura Muja

University of Tirana, Kukës Branch, Albania

Abstract

Main purpose of this study is to make a general assessment of parental involvement in education

and to give ideas of the way of their involvement to the benefit of a better quality of education

for children in Albania. Despite the role of parents in education is considered important in

official documents and in the daily propaganda, in reality, the parental movement and parental

involvement in education is at low levels and does not provide the necessary influence to a

better education of children. Projects and programs implemented by foreign organizations have

brought positive experiences in the new conceptions and commitment of activities through the

application of contemporary methods and approaches in the field of parenting movement.

Nevertheless, these experiences are not sent further ahead and now they have remained just as

memories of the past. Based on the principle that the fulfillment of the mission of education can

not be done only by school teachers, but it needs the engagement of other factors, among them,

parents have an irreplaceable role, the study can assess what is already achieved and can propose

ways of strengthening the involvement of parents in education in the Albanian territory.

The study was conducted based on the review and analysis of official documentations of the

administration and that of foreign organizations. Questionnaires and interviews were

developed and later analysed. As a source of the data collection and analysis were round

tables/meetings with stakeholders of education. The study points out that the involvement of

parents in education is at lower levels than the pace and goals of education reform in Albania.

This situation is due to the insufficient awareness of parents about their role and involvement in

education, lack of knowledge and skills of parents to fulfill this role and demotivating policies

by authorities at central and school levels to realize the openess to parents.

This is also demonstrated by the fact that the experiences of such programs implemented by

foreign organizations in Albania had not achieved their targeted sustainability. This study could

not have been completed without the assistance and kindness of many people. We wish to

acknowledge and express our appreciation of these people for their invaluable contributions.

First, we would like to thank the relevant institutions respectively RED and School management/

principals that supported us with official documentation. Second, we owe our deepest gratitude

to interviewed teachers and parents as well as all others who have contributed substantially to

the quality of this study. We are truly grateful for their time, trust, and commitment.

Keywords: Involvement, parents, education, involvement ways/methods, projects,

sustainability.

Introduction

Referring to studies made on education, special attention is paid to the importance of

parental involvement in education. As M. Fullan notes, “the boundaries of the school