Learner support services in full-service schools: voices of parents in Uthukela district Kwazulu-Natal

Abstract

Support is regarded as the cornerstone of Full-service schools. The government of South Africa introduced full-service school in order to channel inclusive education. For support to be fully embedded in the full-service school all stakeholders should take their rightful positions and that includes parents. Voices of parents are very limited within South African ambience and it is for this reason that this study’s focus is on what the parents say. This study was conducted to explore learner support services in full-service schools: voices of parents in uThukela district, KwaZulu-Natal. A literature study of international, national and local was done in order to understand the concept not just at our point of departure level but rather nationally. This was the phenomenological study which focused on Thlapeng¹ and Letlokwa¹ full-service schools that are based at KwaZulu-Natal’s uThukela district. A qualitative approach with purposeful sampling was used within an interpretive paradigm. The triangulation of data and theories was done using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires as well as Asset-based theory and Epstein’s theory of overlapping spheres. The three themes that emerged during analysis were; Theme one: Parents understanding of full-service school, theme two: learner support services in full-service schools is kaleidoscopic and theme three: discourses of support. The findings from these themes suggest that parents find the support in these school as kaleidoscopic and it also clear even though parents are the third leg of the three legged pot that forms the basis of proper functionality at these schools are not fully involved in the processes with regards to the support of learners in these schools. Their involvement is very limited or restricted which is in contradiction with what the policy on Full-service schools and SIAS document require.