PUBLIC PARTISIPATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AT LELAK SUBDISTRICT OF MANGGARAI REGENCY

Abstract

This study aims to describe the understanding of the people about the forms of involvement in their children's education. Another goal is to identify the factors that cause people not to enroll their children in early childhood education. This study uses a qualitative method with the subjects were 114 parents. The research locus is Lelak District of Manggarai Regency. Data collection techniques used interviews and questionnaires. Data analysis used the Miles and Huberman Model technique which consisted of data reduction, data modeling, and drawing/verifying conclusions. The result of the study showed that parents understand early childhood education as an educational unit that provides educational services for early childhood. However, parents do not fully understand the purpose, benefits and the forms of their involvement in early childhood education. The low understanding of parents causes their minimal participation in early childhood education. Parental participation is only seen in the form of sending and picking up children from school, paying school fees, buying school supplies for children, community service in the school environment, and attending meetings organized by the school. There are four factors that influence parents not to involve their children to early childhood education: parents' lack of understanding of the importance of early childhood education for children's growth and development and the forms of their involvement in early childhood education, parents' educational level which is still in the low category, busyness of parents, and distance early childhood education institutions far from residential areas.