Enhancement of Community Participation in Sustaining Community Primary Schools in Kinkiizi West Constituency, Uganda

Abstract

Community participation in education is a significant strategy for efficient and effective utilisation of limited resources to identify and solve problems in the education sector and offer quality education for children. The conception that communities and local governments cannot manage and sustain community schools is contestable. Community schools have been set up by different communities mainly in several parts of the developing world, in most cases in areas, which have been educationally abandoned by the government. However, these community schools are not well maintained due to a number of factors including low community participation. As such, the study explored practical strategies to enhance community participation in sustaining community primary community schools. A qualitative study, framed within an interpretivist paradigm, drawn on a multiple case study design was used. Guided by the theory of Action by Talcott Parsons, data was generated using focus group discussions and interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. 28 participants who are community members (parents and non-parents), community leaders, head teachers, and the District Education Officer were selected using purposive sampling. Two community primary schools, namely; Karangara and Buhoma community primary schools were purposively chosen as cases of study in Kinkiizi West constituency, Uganda. Findings revealed that effective implementation of school-community collaborations can accelerate the sustainability of community primary schools. This is through Inter-linkages and dependencies between community and School, establishment and ensuring effective communication channels and mobilization for community participation enlistment.