Understanding educational systems: Parents’ challenges in marketisation of education

Abstract

Running schools like business entities in many countries have taken centre stage. This practice has been going on unabated despite the seemingly myriad challenges faced by parents’ understanding of the educational systems due to the marketisation of education. This study explored the parents’ challenges in understanding the educational systems due to the marketisation of education. The marketisation of education kick-started by applying market forces to the field of education. This study adopts a qualitative approach through a case study research design. Twenty parents were selected from the district's primary schools and interviewed for data collection. This study unearthed that the education system is one such tool for perpetuating class divisions and social inequality. The education system in Zimbabwe is heavily underfunded, particularly public government and council schools. Some schools in the district under study, particularly those in the high-density areas, post worrisome results in public examinations. Parents rarely investigate why their local schools perform poorly in public examinations. If they do so, they find fault in the teachers’ competence and commitment to duty. Rarely do parents admit that they are failing to play their part.