| Summary: | This study explored the involvement in school of racial Francophones in a large city in Canada. Specifically, the study investigated the involvement of Black francophone parents in two of Ontario’s publicly funded elementary schools. This study was guided by one main research question: How are Black francophone parents of African origin involved in their children’s formal education in the French-language schools? Five sub-questions stem from the main research question: How do Black francophone parents of African origin understand parental involvement in school? What strategies do these parents employ to become involved in their children’s formal education? What is the nature (i.e., extent, depth) of Black francophone parents’ involvement in their children’s formal education? What inhibits or facilitates the participation of these parents in the school? How is the double-minoritized positioning of these parents implicated in their participation and strategies?
Using an anti-racist lens, the study revealed that Black francophone parents of African origin hold differing views regarding involvement in their children’s education. Although these parents treasure education and strive to instill personal values in their children, they express their understanding of involvement in school primarily in terms of cumulative negative experiences they have experienced and in some cases continue to experience with the French-language schools. Understanding of parents’ involvement in school was also encapsulated in terms of the parents’ own schooling experiences. For many, what constitutes involvement in school challenges the discursive meaning given to parental involvement in educational institutions, governments, and by mainstream parents.
This study indicated that the extent to which Black francophone parents are involved in school and their strategies for involvement are rather poor. Moreover, the study singled out racism as one of the primary deterrents for Black francophone parents’ involvement in school. Other uncommon but significant barriers to parents’ involvement in school included: the impact of role inversion in the family; parents’ unawareness of the importance of their role in the education of their children; the blind-spot approach of parents to schooling; the absence of spirituality in parents’ lives; and the laissez-faire attitude of families rearing children.
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