Parental Support for African Immigrant Students' Schooling in Australia

Abstract

This article reports upon the involvement of Ethiopian-Australian parents in the education of their children attending secondary schools in Melbourne, Australia. It investigates the parents’ efforts in providing academic support to their children. The study utilized a qualitative methodology, using interviews as a major data collection tool, and employed secondary school students, their teachers and parents as informants for the study. After the transcription and coding of the interview data, thematic analysis was used. The findings indicated that the majority of the students did not receive academic support from their parents due to the parents’ limited educational experience, low socio-economic status and lack of time. Most of the parents had no contact with their children’s school. The majority of the parents had little exposure to the Australian education system. However, the report also highlights that parents give high value to education and that they want their children to attend and succeed not only in secondary school but also go on to further education. The results also show a strong link between the level of parental academic support for their children and their own academic background. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations are also forwarded.