Abstract
M.Ed.
This research focuses on the legal obligation entrusted on parents regarding discipline and safety in schools. The research, therefore, aims at examining the way parent involvement contributes to discipline and safety in public secondary schools. The literature study revealed that discipline is an indicator of safety and school effectiveness. It has also become apparent that parents have rights and duties to perform with regard to discipline and safety of learners in schools. To explore and gain understanding of this phenomenon the qualitative research design, which is exploratory, descriptive and contextual was used (Mason, 1997:4-5). The following research methods were employed to collect empirical data, namely: literature study, focus group interviews and field notes. The constant comparative method was used to analyse empirical data. The following main categories emerged from the data analysed: Disciplined schools are orderly and high performing A disciplined school is perceived as the one with a code of conduct for learners, the positive relationships between educators and learners and between educators and parents. In such a school the leadership of the head is strong and effective
because parents support it. A disciplined school is also drug, alcohol and weaponfree
and learners perform and achieve outstandingly. Safe schools are healthy and caring places A safe school provides security for learners and tight rules of access into the
school. The healthy school environment is characterised by educators who perform their duty to care for learners under their authority. Threats to school safety and discipline come from various sources Behavioural problems may stem from poor economic family conditions and the way parents behave in the face of their children. Conflicting cultures between educators and learners may cause misunderstanding, which may result in violent
behaviour. If learners are left unsupervised for a long time and educators are invisible in the school premises and classrooms, learners get space for discussing and acting mischievously. Educators are role models to learners. So, if they exhibit unacceptable behaviour they may impact negatively to discipline and safety. Anti-social behaviour harms the school culture Violent behaviour is a threat to school safety, and thus, impacts negatively on the culture of learning and teaching. As learners are affected, they may leave school for better-disciplined schools or as dropouts. The staff retention is also affected, as educators have to be redeployed to other schools with better learner enrolment. Parent are co-responsible for promoting school safety and discipline
Parents as primary educators have to teach discipline from home by being positive
role models. They also have to provide for and maintain educational resources by
raising funds for the school so that the educational needs of the child are met. School discipline may be maintained if parents provide their children with the necessary school resources. Parents have also to provide security to learners and promote respect for the school property.