Dangerous Schools and the Rise of Parentocracy

Abstract

The study focused on how secondary schools that malfunctioned at the thick of economic crisis evoked parental involvement in Harare, Zimbabwe. Owing to the qualitative nature of the study, a case study research design was found to be more appropriate in order to describe in detail the rise of parentocracy. Face- to-face interviews and a questionnaire were used to gather data. 368 respondents constituted the population from which a sample of 63 participants was drawn. Following a detailed thematic analysis, it emerged from the study that parentocracy increased as schools underperformed. Recommendations were made for the government to address the challenges that are threatening pedagogy in order to lighten the burden on parents.

Keywords: Malfunction, Parentocracy, School, Crisis