Huseyin YOLCU
Assist. Prof. Dr. University of Kastamonu, Faculty of Education, Department of Education Sceinces, Kastamonu/TURKEY

Abstract

Problem statement: A significant decrease has been recently observed in the resources for education allocated from Turkey’s public budget, despite the increasing number of teachers and students. It is possible to better observe this trend at the primary education stage, which is compulsory and free at public schools through law no 42 under the Constitution. Allocating fewer contributing more to primary education financing. Moverover, parents’ contributions to these schools are not limited to monetary contributions. Through various projects and regulations, parents are expected to contribute voluntarily and in an indirectly monetary way, such as helping with office work, working in measurement-assessment services, participating in school trips, etc.

Purpose of the study: This study aim to present the type of parents’ voluntary, but not directly monetary, contributions to schools according to scholl administrators’ views, and assess whether these contributions differ in sub dimensions of the scale and in other variables.

Method: The research is a survey model, and 443 public schools located in five central districts (Altindag, Mamak, Kecioren, Yenimahalle, and Cankaya) within the borders of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality constitute the population of the research. The data in the study were obtained by using a scale of 26 items. Thia scale measures parents’ non-monetary but voluntary contributions to schools in three dimensions. Descriptive analyses, t test, and one-way variance analysis were used in data analysis.

Results: The school administrators’ opinions on parents’ voluntary and indirectly monetary contribution to schools did not differ meaningfully in regards to age, gender, seniority level, position, or educational background in any of the dimensions in the scale. Furthermore, observed results differed in the SEL of the schools, such as where they are located and the number of students.

Discussion and conclusion: According to the findings of the research, parents’ non-monetary but voluntary contributions to school management, educational and social-cultural activities increase as the SEL of the area where the school is located changes from the lowest to the highest. Furthermore, while parents’ non-monetary but voluntary contributions to school management and instructional activities do not change meaningfully in relation to the student population, they differ meaningfully regarding their contributions to social-cultural activities in parallel to the student population.

Keywords: Neo-liberal policies, primary education, volunteering, voluntary contribution.