Parents’ Perceptions Towards the Importance of Preschool Education in Rwanda

Akimanizanye Annonciata¹ and Muhimpundu Nadege^2,

¹College of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University 688, Yingbin Road, Jinhua, Zhejiang, 321004,China

²School of Public Affairs, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, 230026, Hefei City, Anhui, China

Cite this paper:
Akimanizanye Annonciata and Muhimpundu Nadege. Parents’ Perceptions Towards the Importance of Preschool Education in Rwanda. American Journal of Educational Research. 2020; 8(5):242-250. doi: 10.12691/education-8-5-3

Abstract

Preschool education is the very important for children's development. It is likely agreed that parents play a vital role in success of preschool education. Parents’ perceptions towards early childhood education are very useful for an effective, innovative and successful program. However, a very little is known about Rwanda. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating parents’ opinions on importance of preschool education. The semi structured interview was used to collect data both in Kigali city (to capture urban situation) and in eastern province (representing rural situation) while a qualitative approach was employed to provide extensively a deeper understanding of the respondents. Results show that 78% of all interviewees in rural area were not aware of preschool importance while in urban area parents were much concerned about their kids future. In Urban 95% of all respondents agree that preschool is very necessary. For a deeper understanding, the parents perceptions influencing factors were discussed. A strong association between perceptions level and parents socioeconomic status, education background, living area (rural/urban) was found. The study recommended awareness campaigns for parents around the country to the importance of preschool education.

Keywords:
parents preschool education perception rwanda

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	UNESCO, "The contribution of early childhood education to a sustainable society Paris", 2008, Retrieved from .
[2]	Estes, L. S, Essentials of child care and early education. United States of America. Pearson Education, 2004.
[3]	Evans, J. L. Meyers, R.G., & Ilfeld, E, Early Childhood Counts: a Programming Guide on Early Childhood Care for Development. Washington D.C: The World Bank, 2000.
[4]	Oduolowu, E. A., & Olowe, P. K, Government provision of early child care and education to preschool orphans in orphanages in Ibadan municipality. Research in Curriculum Studies, 6 (2). 2011.
[5]	Oduolowu, E. A., & Olowe, P. K, Government provision of early child care and education to preschool orphans in orphanages in Ibadan municipality. Research in Curriculum Studies, 6 (2). 2011.
[6]	Küçükturan, A. G., & Akbaba Altun, S, "Motivations and barriers in promoting preschool education Educational Sciences," Theory & Practice, 17, 1433-1450. 2017.
[7]	Barnett, W. S., Carolan, M. E., Fitzgerald, J., & Squires, J. H, The state of preschool 2012: State preschool yearbook. New Brunswick, NJ, 2012: National Institute for Early Education Research.
[8]	Chavkin, N., & Williams, D, "CRITICAL ISSUES in Teacher Training for Parent Involvement," Educational Horizons, 66 (2), 87-89.1988.
[9]	Tina Yu, Country Director - Save the Children in Rwanda Investing in early childhood education for a better Rwanda report, Kigali 2 June 2016.
[10]	Mineduc, Education statistical yearbook. 2016.
[11]	UNICEF Rwanda, Annual report/Early Child Development. Retrieved from 2017.
[12]	Mineduc, Report of the national ECD stakeholders meeting. Kigali: Ministry of Education. Retrieved from . 2012.
[13]	William J. Bushaw (and others) published: A Time for Change: The 42nd Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes toward the Public Schools .on Sep 1, 2010.
[14]	Pamela E Davis-Kean, "The influence of parent education and family income on child achievement: the indirect role of parental expectations and the home environment," Journal of family psychology 19 (2), 294, 2005.
[15]	Anat Scher, Emanuel Tirosh, " Early maternal perceptions and child development: a comparison between two subgroups in Israel," Journal of reproductive and infant psychology 15 (1), 43-50, 1997.
[16]	Zhuo Cui, "Empirical study of parents’ perceptions of preschool teaching competencies in china," Open Journal of Social Sciences, 4 (02), 1, 2016
[17]	Nasra Shabnam. Preschool Education and Under-privileged Children. Delhi: Sarup and Sons Publishers. 2003.
[18]	Yan W, Lin Q, "Parent Involvement and Children’s Achievement, Race and Income Differences," New Orleans, LA. Paper presented at the Annual conference of American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA. 2002.
[19]	James P Comer, Norris M Haynes, "Parent involvement in schools: An ecological approach," The Elementary School Journal, 91 (3), 271-277, 1991.
[20]	Şahin, B. K., Sak, R., & Şahin, I. T, "Parents’ views about preschool education. Procedia," Social and Behavioral Sciences,89,288-292.2013.Retrievedfrom
[21]	İkbal Tuba Şahin-Sak, Ramazan Sak & Fatma Tezel-Şahin, "Preschool teachers’ views about classroom management models," Early Years, 38:1, 35-52, 2018.
[22]	Baroody, A., & Diamond, K, "Associations among name writing and alphabetic skills in Prekindergarten and kindergarten children at risk of school failure," Journal of Early Intervention, 35 (1), 20-39. 2013.
[23]	Sackes, M., Isitan, S., Avci, K. &Justice, "Parents’ perceptions of children's literacy motivation and their home-literacy practices: What’s the connection?," European Early Childhood Education Research Journal.
[24]	Merriam, S. B, Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (3rd ed). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. MIGEPROF, Minimum standards and norms for early childhood development services in Rwanda. Kigali. 2016.
[25]	Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., & Sandler, H. M," Why do parents become involved in their children’s education?," Review of Educational Research, 67, 3-42. 1997. Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., Walker, J. M. T., & Sandler, H. M, In E. N. Patrikakou, R. P. Weisberg, S. Redding, & H. J. Walberg, (Eds.), School-family partnerships for children's success (pp. 40-56). NY: Teachers College Press. 2005.
[26]	Epstein, J. L., & Sheldon, S. B, "Present and accounted for: Improving student attendance through family and community involvement," The Journal of Educational Research, 95(5), 308-318. 2002. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220670209596604
[27]	Allexsaht-Snider, M, Theoretical and conceptual frameworks for family involvement: Pre-service and in-service teachers' perspectives. Paper presented at the symposium Models of Teacher Education for Enhancing Parental Involvement in Education, Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, April 25, 2000.
[28]	Fan, X., Chen, M, "Parental Involvement and Students' Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analysis," Educational Psychology Review 13, 1-22.2001. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009048817385
[29]	Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., & Sandler, H. M, "Parental involvement in children’s education: Why does it make a difference?," Teachers College Record, 97, 310-331.1995.
[30]	Merriam, S. B, Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (3rd ed). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 2009.
[31]	Davis-Kean, P, "The influence of parent education and family income on child achievement: The Indirect Role of Parental Expectations and the Home Environment," Journal of Family Psychology, 19(2), 294-304. 2005.
[32]	Tobishima, S, Family Structure and Children's Academic Achievement in Japan: A Quantile Regression Approach, Educational Studies in Japan: International Yearbook, n12 p107-119 Mar 2018.
[33]	Manigo. C. & Allison. R, Does pre-school Matter? Understanding the Lived Experiences of Parents and their Perceptions of Pre-school Education, 2017.
[34]	Marija Malović & Sanja Malović, Research in Pedagogy, Vol. 7, Issue 2 (2017), pp. 200-220.
[35]	Tina Yu, Country Director - Save the Children in Rwanda Investing in early childhood education for a better Rwanda report, Kigali 2 June 2016.
[36]	Hosokawa R, Katsura T, "Effect of socioeconomic status on behavioral problems from preschool to early elementary school - A Japanese longitudinal study," PLoS ONE 13(5): e0197961.2018.
[37]	Tuyisenge Stephanie, Determinants of Parents’ involvement in their school children’s education in Gasabo district. Thesis. E55EA/20203/2012, Kenyatta University.
[38]	Mathew Mathews, Leonard Lim and Teng Siao See, Parents’ Perceptions of the Singapore Primary School System IPS Working Papers No. 27, July 2017.
[39]	Bromer, J., Paulsell, D., Porter, T., Henley, J., Ramsburg, D., & Weber, R, Family-sensitive caregiving. In M. Zaslow, I. Martinez-Beck, K. Tout, & T. Halle (Eds.), Quality Measurement in Early Childhood Settings (pp. 161-190).2011. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing.
[40]	Deborah, D, Supporting parent, Family and Community involvement in your school. Portland: NWREL.2000.
[41]	Manzon, M., Miller, R., Hong, H., & Khong, L, Parent Engagement in Education (NIE Working Paper Series No. 7). Singapore: National Institute of Education. 2015.
[42]	Marija Malović & Sanja Malović, Research in Pedagogy, Vol. 7, Issue 2, 2017, pp. 200-220.
[43]	Kagabo DM, Kirk CM, Bakundukize B, et al, "Care-seeking patterns among families that experienced under-five child mortality in rural Rwanda," PLoS One. 2018; 13(1): e0190739. Published 2018 Jan 10.
[44]	L. Mitchell, Democratic Policies and Practices in Early Childhood Education, International Perceptives on Early Childhood education and Development 24, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1793-4_1.
[45]	Paulsell, D., Del Grosso, P. Bernstein S., & Bandel E, Approaches to measuring early head start-child care partnerships: Recommendations and considerations. OPRE Report #2015-62. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, September 2015.
[46]	Jayasuriya, Avanthi & Williams, Marcia & Edwards, Todd & Tandon, Pooja, Parents’ Perceptions of Preschool Activities: Exploring Outdoor Play. Early Education and Development. 27. 1-14. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2016.1156989.