Parental involvement in school in Mainland China

Abstract

Parents is seen as important partners in the formal education of their children. There is a considerable body of studies in Mainland China regarding the problems of parental involvement in normal schools. However, there is a dearth of study concerns parental involvement of children with dyslexia in Chinese educational context. Under the Compulsory Education Law, Chinese students with disabilities have the right to enjoy and receive compulsory education. Although there is an effort by the government to encourage inclusive education in mainstream school, student diversity is viewed as problematic in a school setting. In a recent qualitative study, a total of 21 parents of children with dyslexia or hyperactivity attention deficit were interviewed. Children ranged in age from 7 to 12. The findings revealed that parents raised problems about school arrangement such as school curriculum and approach were not flexible enough and could not accommodate different learning styles; and all students were evaluated in a standardized test or exam for which it could not allow a student with dyslexia to show his or her acquired knowledge. Parents expressed concern about the current situation of school education. But most parents said that they had no way to express and participate. This presentation intends to reveal the underlying structure, the causation of the observed events, the interacting factors embedded in school environment, and the reflections for improvement.