Publication date: 29 September 2025
JET and Reos Partners are proud to announce the publication of Parental and Caregiver Involvement in South African Education by the HSRC Press. This book is a groundbreaking edited volume that examines the role of parents and caregivers in shaping learners’ educational journeys across South Africa.
From townships to rural areas to urban centers, South Africa's educational system faces a complex web of varied social and economic realities. The authors of Parental and Caregiver Involvement in South African Education explore both the challenges and the triumphs involved in shaping educational journeys in these diverse contexts.
Powerful research narratives and practical case studies offer authentic insights, as well as actionable strategies, illustrating the essential role of family partnerships and caregivers in creating equitable learning opportunities.
About the Editors
Zahraa McDonald is an associate professor in the Department of Religion Studies at the University of Johannesburg. Adam Cooper is chief research specialist at the Human Science Research Council. Ashnie Mahadew teaches in the School of Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Noxolo Xaba is at the South African College of Applied Psychology.
Contents
Introduction: the Editors
Framing Parental and Caregiver Involvement in Education
Chapter 1: A social justice perspective on parental and caregiver involvement in education policy―Zahraa McDonald, Lungelo Mthembu-Salter, and Noxolo Xaba
Chapter 2: Linking politics, policy, and practice in understanding parent involvement―Bakang Mputle
Chapter 3: Silencing marginalised voices in early childhood development policy ―Lydia-Anne Plaatjies
Contexts of Parental and Caregiver Involvement in Education
Chapter 4: Who are South African caregivers, how do they feel about educational quality, and what is their involvement in schools?―Tarryn de Kock and Adam Cooper
Chapter 5: An inclusive learning environment in early childhood care and education: Enhancing parent and family partnerships―Ashnie Mahadew
Chapter 6: Learning from school principals’ experiences of parental and caregiver involvement at primary schools in low-income communities―Bongani Nhlanhla Mkhize and Kerishka Govender
Chapter 7: What's blame got to do with it? Teacher and parent blame narratives in South African primary schools―Andrew Paterson, Melanie Ehren, and Zaahedah Vally
Chapter 8: Black middle-class parents’ involvement in children’s education: Stories of trauma and hope―Thembeka Myende and Phumlani Myende
Intervening in Parental and Caregiver Involvement in Education
Chapter 9: Deepening our understanding of parental involvement in rural South Africa: Parental support of Grade 2 mathematics homework under COVID-19―Kimberley Porteus, Nicky Roberts, and Nobuntu Mazeka
Chapter 10: Parental involvement programme: A case study across schools and communities in rural South Africa―Craig Gibbs and Kimberleigh Bodley
Chapter 11: aRe Bapaleng: Working with caregivers to create stronger local (in-community) early childhood development ecosystems―Ximena Gonzalez and Khanyisa Mkhabele
Chapter 12: Do caregivers engage with their young children at home, and can teachers influence them to do more? Experiences from the Together in My Education Home Learning Programme―Magali von Blottnitz and Shelley O’Carroll
Chapter 13: Pathways to implementing effective parental involvement programmes in South Africa―Adele Mooi and Abigail Dreyer
Conclusion: Systemic collaboration as an approach to parental involvement―Colleen Magner and Mpinane Mahlatji
“This is an extremely timely contribution. As we grapple with the challenge of radically improving the South African educational system, the contributors to this volume tell us about the structural, affective and practical issues that stand in the way of bringing parents and caregivers properly and fully into the process of education. The chapters are informative and are written with feeling and insight”. — Crain Soudien, Emeritus Professor, University of Cape Town.
"The field of study on school, family, and community partnerships is growing geographically wider and intellectually deeper with this good book of research in South Africa. Each chapter reports important research, with one section on how research results may help improve school programs and practices". — Joyce L. Epstein, Professor of Education, Johns Hopkins University.
Parental and Caregiver Involvement in South African Education will be available online as open source from the HSRC Press website in April 2026. Please check back on JET’s website for instructions on how you can access a FREE digital book at that time.
To purchase a hard copy of Parental and Caregiver Involvement in South African Education, check your local bookstore or etailer!
South Africa: https://www.mzansibooks.co.za/products/parental-and-caregiver-involvement-in-south-african-education
United States and other regions: https://www.rienner.com/title/Parental_and_Caregiver_Involvement_in_South_African_Education
