Abstract
D.Ed.
Some parents from the rural areas of the Limpopo Province leave their families due to work absorption to the urban areas. This causes changes in the family in which children have to grow alone and this is likely to spawn many other social problems. The family forms part of the network of systems, which impact upon the development of the child as an individual. The relationship in which an individual finds himself/herself within a changed parent-absent family is part of the changed environment.
Parent-absent children from the schools in the Limpopo Province and educators were identified as the target group from which the sample was drawn. The research was qualitative and the design descriptive, exploratory and contextual. The study comprised of two phases.
Phase I involved the collection of data on the experiences and problems of the parent-absent early adolescent children. Data was collected through the use of individual interviews, focus group interviews, life histories, field notes and observation. This phase also focused upon the analysis and contextualisation of the findings. The findings were organised in accordance with two areas, namely home and school problems and experiences. Early adolescents’ home experiences and problems were reported under poverty, adult responsibilities and feelings.
On the other hand, school experiences and problems were discussed under the following themes: academic achievements, educators’ attitudes, lack of school necessities, discipline and dropouts.
Phase II was concerned about the development and description of an approach for the intervention to assist parent absent children to be able to deal with experiences and problems they experience at home and at schools. An interdisciplinary approach to children’s multidimensional problems was adopted. The Interdisciplinary Initiative Empowerment Programme Approach (IIEPA) an intervention provided by stakeholders as a collective was adopted. Interdisciplinary empowerment programme have been suggested in order to provide empowerment intervention to the parent-absents.
Prof. J. Pillay